To Catch Someone's Eye
by leeniejs
Summary: Shino happens upon an interesting woman on the street. See how she affects him in a way no one else can and what an enemy is willing to do to get her. OC/Shino. No mary sue. Cannon couples mentioned. Time is just after Shippuden ends.
1. Chapter 1

Hello to old and new readers!

If you are new to my stories you should know I never post a story until it is 100% finished. So you may always read with confidence that my stories will not be abandoned, held hostage, or waiting months or years for updates.

After 3 years of working on this story, I have finally finished it! I knew I wanted to write a romance for Shino but it was only after Rayne storms ink, (the incredible artist that made the cover art for this story), prompted me with two words "blind civilian", that this story came into being.

Please enjoy!

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Chapter 1

A Blessing in Disguise?

Shino Aburame walked through the streets of Konoha after a particularly violent training session. He had become the unsuspecting test dummy for a new and rather effective Jutsu of Kiba's invention.

The roads were nearly bare on this early spring morning. Snowflakes seemed to mock his mood as they landed gently upon his hooded head. A few flakes managed to enter the side of his hood when the wind blew them gently towards him.

His irritation with himself increased with every step he took. His loss of the match with Kiba weighed on him more than usual. Knowing the intricacies of even the tiniest organisms such as insects showed him long ago that no one should be underestimated, and it was for that exact reason that he was upset with himself for his surprise at Kiba's new jutsu. He should not have been so arrogant to assume he knew all of Kiba's moves.

His kikai buzzed, echoing the displeasure of their master.

It seemed he was due for some introspection about life and underestimating one's opponent. The lack of insects to observe in the winter months could be to blame, but it was really no excuse for one such as Shino. A bug master never belittled even the most unlikely or minuscule sources.

"Excuse me?" a voice called from behind him.

Shino turned around to discover the source of the voice. It appeared to have come from the heavily clothed young woman closest to him on the street, just a few paces behind him. He recognized at once that she was blind, the cane and dark sunglasses attested to that assumption.

"Yes?" he questioned.

"Is there a nest of bees near here?" she asked.

Shino was puzzled at the odd question. While it was technically spring, the snow currently made the area inhospitable for many insects that frequented Konoha.

"It is too cold for bees to be out today. Why would you ask?" He doubted this blind woman could know the passerby she questioned was one of the few experts on insects. Therefore, a question to a stranger about spring insects in unseasonably cold weather required a pretext of sorts.

"Oh, I just hear a buzzing noise. I was a bit worried I would walk too close to a nest of angry bees, it must be something else. Anyway, thank you." She smiled in his direction over her multicolored scarf and stepped past him, her cane swishing through the light snow as he watched her disappear down the street.

Shino stared at her as she walked away. Being a shinobi, his hearing was greater than an average civilian, he listened curiously but he didn't hear what she described as a bee's nest.

It was possible his ears were not as sharp as the blind woman he had just encountered. He knew individuals that lacked one or more senses naturally compensated with their remaining senses.

Though, even to his sensitive ears, he couldn't hear even a faint buzzing. The only buzzing was from his kikai

Was it possible she had actually heard them? He had never heard of anyone claiming to have heard the kikai whilst the insects remained in their host. Even as irritated as his were at the moment, none had ever detected such a thing. Were her ears really so developed that they could hear the tiniest movements under his skin?

It was unlikely he would get answers to his questions standing alone in the snow.

He proceeded home but not without a lingering curiosity settling in his mind of one blind redhead.

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Please review with your thoughts.


	2. Chapter 2

I'm glad to see a fair amount of people are already viewing this. Thanks to the traffic stats that let me see all the silent readers out there. I appreciate each and every one of you!

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Chapter 2

Curiosity Killed the Cat...

A week had passed before Shino saw the blind woman again.

He had spent the afternoon perusing the street shops for a suitable gift for Naruto and Hinata's wedding. Though he hardly showed it, he was happy for his friends to have found love in each other. He knew how long Hinata had pined for the blond reject from their academy days. Long years had passed as the girl watched him from a distance and now her love and devotion was finally returned in full. Shino knew they would be very happy together. If any could stand the test of time, it was those two.

He had been checking nearly every store for inspiration or the gift itself if he was lucky. Though he fancied himself a rather intelligent man, he had no idea what sort of gift to give his long time friends to celebrate their union.

Had it been a promotion or other work-related affair, a simple tool or useful item would have worked just fine, but he was more than happy for the challenge if it meant the war was over and people were getting back to their lives.

The next shop on the street was a bookstore. Though he thought his prospects for finding a suitable gift unlikely in this store his options were quickly dwindling.

He proceeded inside where the comforting smell of tangy ink and fresh paper tickled his nose pleasantly. He proceeded down a few rows, perusing the titles and sections when his kikai stirred longingly. It seemed there was something in the area that interested them and it certainly wasn't the books.

He commanded them to calm and remain inside his body before they began escaping of their own free will. Curiously, he searched for what they had been so interested in. Few things excited the beetles, because generally, eating chakra was their only pleasure. From what they were telling him, they could sense a chakra more appealing than his own and they begged their master to feed upon it.

He looked around attempting to pinpoint the origin of their desire.

One employee stood at the counter checking out a customer's order- neither of them. One customer paged through a book in the nonfiction section- they were also a no.

One employee in the corner of the shop stacked books upon the shelves. The kikai stirred hopefully. He released some chakra to feed the insects which they ate mournfully; discontent when there was such a delicious alternative source so close.

He peered at the woman down the aisle, not bothering to dip into his shinobi skills in a civilian shop to observe the woman. Her skin was a healthy tan as if she spent time in the sun last summer and had not lost the color over the winter months. Short, dark red hair laid flat over her head, covering the arms of her sunglasses behind her ears.

Shino wondered at her use of sunglasses indoors. As a shinobi, he was permitted nearly any article of clothing he desired but most civilian occupations did not allow for such unrestricted attire. The rest of her ensemble was a plain uniform of a tan shirt and pants, black shoes as well as a white apron, as seen with most shop employees.

Her behavior was interesting. Rather than look at the books she handled, she ran a finger across the words on the spine and proceeded to trail a hand across the shelf to find the books it matched. When she reached down to the box at her feet he could see the profile of her face, and her dark sunglasses that covered her eyes even from the side. Her facial features were gentle and soft, such as her chin that rounded delicately under pale pink lips. The nose her sunglasses rested upon was straight, neither wide nor narrow in its shape, and not obscenely pointed at the end.

Upon seeing her visage, he recognized her as the blind woman from last week.

She was slight in frame and not overly curvaceous, this being something he had not had the opportunity to notice when she was covered in her winter wear. When she stood she must have been about a head shorter than Shino, making her height rather average compared to his large stature.

The woman paused strangely as she bent over the box, and her hand hovered just above the next row of books. She didn't move a muscle except to turn her head slightly in his direction.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Sachi had been stacking books like any other day. Many people questioned a blind woman working in a bookstore, but it was impossible to respond to all of their comments. She had long since settled for ignoring them as if she couldn't hear them.

The most common question she was asked by friends and coworkers as she worked in the bookstore was, 'How do you know which book is which if you can't read?' She had gone through at least a dozen explanations about how most paperbacks were usually rough in the background while the letters were smooth and dust covers were usually engraved. She didn't find their questions to be rude. She didn't mind indulging someone's curiosity, but some didn't seem to bother trying to come up with their own answer before they so thoughtlessly questioned her abilities.

Sachi had been born blind, so she knew no other way of life. While some people pitied her, they just didn't understand that she didn't find it to be a burden. She simply did things differently than everyone else.

The way she saw it, most people had to learn to live without things that others took for granted. The elderly lost their hearing, vitality, and vision and it was all considered normal. Yet she, who had always considered life without sight as normality, was an oddity.

Her lack of sight was deemed as a handicap, and "normal" people didn't seem to understand that her other senses and skills more than made up for her blindness. Her hearing was what she depended on most. Anything out of the range of her touch was subjected to her impeccable sense of hearing.

She paused in stacking the books, her ears had called attention to an incessant buzzing like bees just down the aisle. The sound came out of nowhere just like a week ago on the street. She stood up, ignoring the box at her feet and listened more intently. She canted her head slightly to receive the sound better. It was odd.

The sound held different tones and intensities just like bees. But a nest couldn't just have plunked down right in the middle of a bookstore.

The sound seemed to vibrate the air around it. If she went closer she might have been able to feel it.

She wasn't sure how she knew, but the sound seemed to take the shape of a human. That was to say it did not encompass the whole room but only a human sized area, as if the buzzing came from inside a person and not around it. It was only obvious to her trained ear and based on the vibrations in the air she could roughly tell where sound and body met air. She could even tell that the person's face seemed to be turned in her direction and they were not looking away.

This was certainly strange.

She could hear the general direction of objects and people from the sounds they generated, but this was a first where her hearing also seemed to appeal to her sense of touch. It was almost like she could feel where this person was. She grew intensely curious at the new sensation, and turned her body to address the person.

"You know, it's rude to stare," she commented.

It seemed Shino was caught. He could only guess she had heard him, but he had no idea how she had known where he was looking.

"Do you need help finding anything?" she asked as he closed the distance between them.

Shino wasn't about to admit his reason for staring was his curiosity. He settled for a half truth.

"I was looking for a wedding present."

"'How to' books are useful as well as cookbooks for that kind of thing. Actually," she pointed to the aisle to his immediate left, "down this aisle is a four volume set of cookbooks by L.T. Hota. They are organized by main ingredient and they are one of our best sellers."

"Thank you."

"Hey," she interjected before he could move a muscle. "You sound familiar. Correct me if I am wrong but aren't you the same man I asked about a bee hive last week?"

"Yes."

"I thought so. Why does it sound like you buzz?" She paused briefly before her words rushed out faster as if she was trying to correct a faux pas. "Uh-I don't mean to be rude. I'm just curious."

"You hear insects," he stated plainly.

"Ah-ha! I knew it was something like that. Bugs huh? That's interesting." She hummed in satisfaction. "Anyway, you should take a look at those cookbooks. They just might be what you are looking for."

Shino left the strange and curious woman to her books. He flipped through the cookbooks she had suggested and he had been satisfied in his inspection, so he purchased the books from a friendly cashier and left. It seemed the woman he spoke with had just finished her shift as she was pulling on a hat and scarf just before walking out the door in front of him. When they both had their feet on the street a child came rushing past knocking into her. The child's mother rushed after her son, panting an apology without looking away from the small figure in the distance.

The blind woman managed to keep her footing but it came at the loss of the cane in her hand. It flew into the air where Shino caught it easily.

"Here," he said, holding out the cane to her.

"So we meet again." She smiled enjoying the sound of his deep voice. He placed the cane in her outstretched hand. "Thank you. Did you end up buying those cookbooks?"

"Yes. They should make an excellent gift. Thank you for your recommendation."

"I'm glad I could help," she said with a polite smile.

"How did you know I was looking at you in the store?" Try as he might, he couldn't fathom the answer to his question.

"It's the buzzing. It makes it more obvious where you are. I'm Sachi Hara, by the way." She held her hand out and he shook it.

"Shino Aburame." At this close proximity to her, he noticed she smelled pleasantly of vanilla and fresh paper. His kikai stirred excitedly as their hands met and he let go quickly.

"It's nice to properly meet you. You know, if you like to watch me so much, you could just walk me home instead." The small smirk her face held increased the teasing tone of her voice.

"I didn't mean to stare," he apologized.

"It's alright. I do need to get home. You are welcome to walk with me, or we could say goodbye."

She seemed very forward to Shino and his curiosity could only increase. He nodded and quickly realized she needed a verbal answer.

"I'll walk with you." They fell into step next to each other, he with one hand in his pocket and the other carrying his new purchase and her with her cane in her right hand, swishing it along the ground. Only a few seconds of silence passed before she spoke again.

"Thanks for walking with me. Sometimes the walk home gets a bit boring. You must be a shinobi," she stated with confidence.

"What gave it away?"

"Well there is the insects you must use, but it was mainly your hands and feet."

"What about them?" he asked curiously, interested to hear how perceptive she was.

"Your hands have calluses so you must work with them a lot, and you are very quiet when you walk."

"That is very observant."

"Well, I have to be. Hearing and touching are the main ways I take in information. Everyone seems surprised when they find out how much I see without seeing." Her tone became somewhat regretful and apologetic. "I know it bothers people when I point out things about them, sorry."

"It's not a problem. Why? I don't find it bothersome."

"So, how old are you, Shino-san?"

"18."

"Me too," she replied in a cheery tone. "I was born blind if you were wondering. Most people are curious, but they make it seem like taboo when they never ask. I know it's a bit rude for me to be doing all the talking but you are so quiet I thought you were hung up on the question."

"I have no problems listening or talking when the need arises. I was not silent to simply avoid a question."

"I guess you are just one of those quiet guys, huh?" Her cane tapped twice on the front steps to a house and she stopped. "Well, this is me. Thanks for walking with me," she finished brightly.

"Thank you again for recommending a gift."

"It-" She stopped speaking as her head tilted slightly towards the house. She sighed tiredly, her shoulders drooping slightly. "Sorry for what's about to happen."

Shino barely had a moment to question her statement before the door to her home was thrown open, revealing a short older woman with brown hair in a bun.

"Sachi-chan, have you brought home a man?" her excited voice rang loudly through the street. Sachi winced.

"No, Kaachan, just a customer thanking me for a recommendation."

It seemed Sachi's mother wouldn't be dissuaded so easily by her daughter's insistent tone.

"Such a kind and handsome young man for walking my little Sachi-chan home," she beamed. "Would you like to come in for tea?"

Shino's eyebrow quirked slightly. He didn't see how his looks had anything to do with how he conducted himself.

"Shino-san has to get home to wrap a gift. Isn't that right?" She stressed her last sentence and he got the feeling this was more for his benefit than her own.

"Yes," he replied plainly. Sachi's mother seemed very put out by his answer. She looked away wistfully with a forlorn hand on her cheek.

"Oh, what a shame." In an instant, her wistfulness disappeared to be replaced with a cheerful manner. "I'll leave you two alone to say goodbye then."

The front door closed and Sachi sighed.

"Sorry. Kaachan's favorite pass time is to embarrass her children."

"That seems the case with many parents."

"She takes it to extremes. Anyway, I hope to see you around. Maybe I'll see you in the bookstore again someday." Her voice was hopeful and he didn't miss her hint.

"Maybe," he said, noncommittally as they parted.

Sachi was a curious character to Shino. Her pleasing scent, as well as his kikai's interest in her chakra, made him desire to flock to her like a moth to a flame. He had never encountered anyone his kikai desired so much, that they would be willing to disobey their master just to taste another's chakra.

She had quite a curious personality as well. Her way of assuming what others may be thinking was different and while she apologized for the rudeness of it, she obviously couldn't break the habit. She was definitely interesting and both his kikai, and his curiosity urged him to seek her out.

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Please let me know what you think.


	3. Chapter 3

Fun fact: all of the chapter titles are carefully chosen idioms that fit with the chapter theme/plot.

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Chapter 3

But Satisfaction Brought it Back

Most days that Shino and his father were not away on missions they joined his mother together at the table for the evening meal. With the decrease in available missions due to the cold weather, this happened more often than not whilst the snow blanketed the ground.

Shino's mind had been preoccupied with thoughts of the strangely enticing woman he met today. He had been reviewing all he knew about the kikai and their relation with non-host bodies. Much to his displeasure, his knowledge of this particular area was lacking.

He lowered his utensils and turned to his father.

"Have the kikai ever wanted to leave the host for another? I came across a woman today with chakra that the kikai desired. They were quite unwilling to be dissuaded from leaving. Has anything like this ever happened before?"

Shibi nodded.

"It can happen, yes. In the same way, mosquitoes prefer certain individuals over others; one's chakra may be more appealing than their host. In extreme cases, the kikai may rebel against their host or leave despite the host's will. In even rarer cases the chakra may be so appealing that the kikai may never return as long as the new host is still alive."

New host? The words raised a new question in Shino's mind.

"The kikai would choose the other over their original host?"

"In some cases, yes." Shibi nodded again. "Once they feed upon the more desirable chakra, they might be unwilling to accept any other food source."

"What is the best way to control the kikai around these people?"

"The most obvious answer would be to avoid these people and avoid the negative possibilities altogether. Otherwise keeping them fed and keeping a tight hold on them would be best." He stopped to stare more pointedly at his son. "Don't allow them to feed on the person's chakra. It's likely they will never return."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Despite his father's warnings, he found himself entering the bookstore the very next day, hoping Sachi would be working. He couldn't figure out what it was about Sachi that drew the kikai so much. From what his father said it was little more than a preference for her chakra, but this did little to satisfy his curiosity. The only things he was almost entirely certain of, was that she didn't seem to realize the effect she had, and that she seemed nothing more than a run of the mill civilian, albeit a blind one.

"Shino-san is that you?" The woman in question rounded the nearest bookshelf and interrupted his train of thought.

"Yes," he answered. She smiled.

"I heard you coming. What brings you in today?"

"I wondered if you could recommend another book."

"Do you need another gift already or is it something for you?" she asked.

"Something for me." She hummed thoughtfully and trailed a hand across the bookshelf just in front of him. She brushed a thin finger along the spine and pulled it into her hands.

"I've heard good things about this one. It's a different world than ours. It's a fantasy story with action and only a tiny touch of romance."

"Have you read it?"

"No, they haven't made a version of it that I can read. That's just what a customer told me about it."

"Which would you personally recommend?"

She replaced the book deftly and trailed her hand over three shelves and down two before selecting another novel.

"I would say this one. It's like a dystopian alternate dimension. The characters rise up to take back their world and it's really funny because the main character is always saying something he shouldn't be." He plucked the book in question out of her grip, looking it over with interest.

"You seem fond of it."

"I have an audio version that I've listened to a couple times. That's one of the perks of working here. I can get the owner to special order some books for me."

"I could walk you home and you could tell me more about it if you wouldn't mind."

"I'd love to but only if you contribute to the conversation more than yesterday. I don't want to be the only one talking. I'll be out in 15 minutes."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

While the original team 8 usually trained first thing in the morning, their training time was being disturbed by Hinata's need for wedding planning. She had apologized profusely to her two teammates, and explained that the boutiques and businesses were far too busy for her to go to after their training had ended.

Not wanting to end their training completely, as skills that were not constantly honed tended to become stagnant, they settled for delaying their meetings until the afternoon for the next few days. Hinata had assured them she had already picked out most of the decorations and had only needed a few days to order them.

The afternoon, however, interfered with the time Sachi got off work and the last two days Shino had left training early to be able to walk her home.

The first two days he had managed to escape without too many questions from his team. While he was sure Hinata would not kick up a fuss, one could never know about their Inuzuka teammate. He was not hiding his meetings with Sachi, but as she was little more than an acquaintance there was no reason to tell his teammates about her.

Therefore, after two days of vaguely answered questions about leaving training early, he was cornered by Kiba as he stood in Shino's way. Hinata stood next to the pair of them just as curious as Kiba to know the goings on of their teammate.

"Where is it you keep heading off to?" Kiba asked with a raised eyebrow.

"As I have mentioned before, I am going to see a friend," he answered in a very brusque and impatient manner. If Kiba delayed him too long he would not be there in time to walk Sachi home as she got off work.

"Yeah, you said that before." Kiba punctuated this sentence with an eye roll. "Who is it? You haven't mentioned anyone by name."

"I have not mentioned a name because it is unlikely you know her and, therefore, a name would do you little to no good."

Kiba's lips split in a very toothy smirk.

"Oh, so it's a girl, huh?" He snickered and turned to Hinata beside them. "How about that Hinata? Looks like Shino finally got himself a girlfriend."

"That's wonderful to hear, Shino-kun." Shino was thankful for Hinata's quiet support even if she had the wrong idea.

"She's not my girlfriend," Shino said with remarkable patience for a man that was being delayed from his goal. It would be improper to describe their relationship as anything more than it actually was.

Kiba put his hands up in a quiet surrender with his teasing smirk still in place. "Alright, alright, friends with benefits, whatever."

Through the years of always wearing his sunglasses around his teammates, they had come to recognize his subtle facial expressions based on what little of his face they could see. Kiba could see from the tensing in his temples and the harsh downturn of his eyebrows that he was on the receiving end of one of Shino's particularly burning glares.

Kiba tried to defuse the situation with a humorless laugh and a strained smile.

"Kiba-kun, I don't think Shino-kun is like that," Hinata intoned in her most gentle correction.

"Yeah, okay, I got it. Nothing is going on." Kiba kept his hands up in the placating fashion from earlier, trying his best to end the glare currently sending a chill up his spine.

Shino vanished from the scene. His impatience with his male teammate had grown thin and if he hadn't left then he would be late.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Sachi-chan," a sweet voice singsonged to Sachi's left as she stacked a box of books onto an almost empty shelf.

"Yes, Yuki-chan?" Sachi mimicked back.

Yuki was Sachi's best and oldest friend. When they were both old enough to consider jobs Yuki was adamant that they work together. When she had been hired at a bookstore to operate the register she had sung Sachi's praises till the owner had given in and hired the blind girl, never once regretting it after he witnessed the girl's work ethic.

Yuki was a kind, though, rather dramatic and excitable soul. It was perhaps for those reasons that Sachi had made friends with the vibrant woman. Having grown up experiencing her mother's constant antics, Sachi found it easy to interact with the girl that most thought was a little too hyper for her own good.

They were not wrong.

Yuki positively exuded energy. Even now she wiggled herself excitedly as she stood beside Sachi, waiting to explode with whatever information or question she had.

"You haven't told me who that guy is! Who is the guy you keep leaving with?" She bounced on her toes awaiting an answer.

"You mean Shino-san?" She paused in her stacking with several books on her arm and another in her opposite hand halfway to the designated shelf.

Yuki groaned impatiently. "What other guy could I mean? The tall guy in the coat!" She nearly shouted. Her tone turned to one that was more than a little suggestive."What do you two get up to?"

"He just walks me home," she said plainly, not rising to Yuki's implication. "How much can we be getting up to?"

"Well, it's been four days in a row. Do you think he will come today?"

Sachi resumed her stacking. "Maybe. I don't know. He's a shinobi. I'm sure he has better things to do than to walk me home every day."

"Not if he likes you!" Yuki singsonged again.

"Like you said it's been four days," Sachi responded.

"Has he made a move yet?" Yuki asked ignoring the reiteration of the time.

"Four days!" Sachi said the words slowly, enunciating each syllable carefully as if talking to a foreigner that barely understood the language. "We aren't talking weeks, months or years!"

Yuki scoffed. "If he hasn't made a move, what do you two do?"

"We talked about books, characters, I told him a bit about braille, people and things like that."

"That's all?" Yuki asked incredulously.

"Not everyone moves as fast as you do."

Yuki bounced on the balls of her feet in utter emotional agony. "How am I supposed to live vicariously through you if your life is boring?"

"When did you decide to live through me?"

"As soon as he walked you home the first time," Yuki squealed excitedly, clasping her hands against her cheek lovingly.

Sachi heaved a sigh full of amusement and exasperation. "You are a hopeless romantic. It's not my fault you broke up with your boyfriend. And my life is not boring."

Yuki waved her hands wildly in the air and scoffed. "My ex didn't understand me."

"You were only dating for two weeks! Did you even give him a chance?"

"Two weeks is long enough!" she defended. "I'm looking for The One; the only! I can't find him if I'm tied down to someone I know is wrong." She sighed dramatically. "I don't know how you don't understand. You understand people. You are so perceptive!"

"Yuki-chan, I can't just meet someone and know they are 'The One' in an instant. I might be perceptive but I don't know everything about a person without time to get to know them. I can't exactly understand that love at first sight thing," she waved a hand over her face for Yuki's benefit as if to remind the girl she was blind, "that you have claimed with your last -what is it now- four boyfriends?"

"That's not the point!"

"What is the point?" she asked with surprising patience.

"Do you think he will come today to walk you home?"

Sachi groaned at the repeat question. "Maybe. I don't know," she answered again. "He didn't promise he would if that's what you're asking."

Yuki looked outside the shop windows, scanning for a familiar figure and let out a tone of disappointment. "I don't see him waiting and you get off in," she looked at the clock on the wall, "three minutes!"

"Maybe he's not interested," Sachi stated, not without a slight tone of disappointment.

"Or maybe he's just busy," Yuki countered optimistically.

"You know you have customers waiting." Yuki turned to see three disgruntled patrons waiting at the register to make their purchase. She squeaked and dashed off, leaving Sachi to hear her emphatic apologies across the store.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thanks to the speed Shino had gained in the years he had trained to be a shinobi he had arrived just as Sachi walked out the door of the bookstore.

"There you are, Shino-san," she smiled as he closed the last few feet between them, obviously recognizing the sound of his kikai. "I thought maybe you weren't coming today."

"I experienced a not entirely unexpected delay."

"Alright then," she said curiously. "What was it we were talking about yesterday?"

"The clichéd false dichotomies of the antagonist making the protagonist choose between saving their love interest or an innocent party."

"Oh, that's right! I think it does make for a good heroic story but it seems unlikely that the hero can always save both, don't you think?"

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Would you guys like to know the total words/chapters in the story? Or would you prefer not knowing? Feel free to ask any questions at any point in the story. I love answering questions, as long as they are not spoilers.


	4. Chapter 4

I'm pleased that there is plenty of responses to this story. Thank you!

I had to do a lot of research into blindness before I felt I could accurately write a character that was blind. Even so, this story is not a 100% accurate description of blind people or their habits and abilities.

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Chapter 4

Cut to the Chase

The first day that she had been off work Shino wasn't entirely sure what to do. He could just return home and try again tomorrow. His kikai stirred unhappily at the thought. The insects had contented themselves with their master's chakra but they had become accustomed to being close to Sachi. Her presence seemed to be almost addicting to the insects. Whenever she was close the insects buzzed happily from the proximity of her alone.

He walked back out of the bookstore devoid of his favorite employee and back to his home. He didn't get far as his insects began leaving by the dozen towards Sachi's home. More than a little upset and embarrassed, he trailed after them trying to order the rogues back where they belonged. Only a handful obeyed while the others soldiered on with new found determination with every inch closer to her and farther from him.

He followed them all the way back to her house where he was finally able to call the rest of them back. They writhed unhappily within him, disappointed to have come so close and yet so far. He fed them copious amounts of chakra and forced them to stay. He had just turned to leave when the door to Sachi's house opened.

"Shino-san?" He froze at hearing her voice. "I can hear you out here. Did you really come all this way to turn around? Why don't you come in?"

Rather than answer, he walked into the house upon her invitation. He had wanted to see her after all and to refuse her offer seemed pointless. Even if he wanted to politely refuse, his kikai might insist and he didn't want to admit he only found himself at her door because they made him.

"Would you like some tea?" she asked.

"Yes, please."

From deeper within the house, a feminine voice called out. "Who was at the door?"

"It's Shino-san," Sachi answered the voice loudly. This statement was punctuated with hurried footsteps from the other room. The squat woman he knew to be Sachi's mother bounded through the doorway with vigor.

"Shino-kun, how wonderful to see you again so soon!" Sachi's mother enthused. "Sit, sit, sit, sit, sit, I'll make tea."

Both Shino and Sachi sat at the dining table and waited as the tea was made.

"Sorry about Kaa-chan," Sachi whispered. "Don't let her scare you off. She's overbearing but she means well. She holds nothing back. Whatever she thinks she has to say."

Shino was amused at the thought that Sachi may not recognize this trait in herself. While her mother seemed more flamboyant and excitable, both women's words seemed entirely unrestrained.

He was content with this moment. Sitting across from Sachi as she whispered about her mother. His kikai stirred. Once again they had the feeling of being so close yet so far from her.

"So what brings you here, Shino-kun?" Sachi's mother asked as she set tea cups down in front of each of them and sipped gently from her own.

"Just stopping by," he answered neutrally, sipping from his cup.

"To see our dear Sachi-chan, hmm? How sweet." She took the opportunity to finish his completed sentence with her own words. He knew now he had been right, Sachi's mother was much more unrestrained and excitable than her daughter.

"Kaa-chan," Sachi whined.

"What? It is, dear. He walks you home for five days and when he can't he comes to see you. How much sweeter can that get?" Her mother quieted as she looked to Shino. She gave him a meaningful look and mouthed 'ask her to go on a walk' as she pointed to Sachi.

"Why are you quiet all of a sudden?" Sachi asked her mother suspiciously.

"Just taking a sip of tea, dear." Her lie was effortless and as cheerful as were the rest of her words. Shino had the impression that this woman was always cheerful.

"Then why hasn't your cup left the table?" Sachi asked, countering her mother's lie. The older woman laughed and dispersed Sachi's question with a wave of her hand.

"Oh, sweetheart, your ears must be overworked. Maybe you should take a break and relax." She motioned to Shino vigorously as she gave him an opportunity to do what she wanted them to do. Well, he didn't see why not. He had come to see her after all.

"Would you like to take a walk with me, Sachi-san?"

"Sure, just let me get my things." Sachi drained the rest of her tea and trotted up the staircase separating the kitchen from the rest of the house. Her mother winked at him and began cleaning up the tea.

"I'm Noriko, by the way," she mentioned softly as she took the teacups to the sink, "and it's very nice to meet you, Shino-kun."

He returned her greeting and was thankful that not every word out of Noriko's mouth was said with enthusiasm to rival even Gai and Lee.

Sachi descended the stairs minutes later dressed for the brisk weather.

"Kaa-chan, have you seen my cane?"

"Isn't it by your nightstand like always?" Noriko returned as she bustled about the kitchen.

"No. I put it there last night when I got home and I didn't move it. I'll bet Kaito-kun took it," Sachi said.

"Again?" Noriko asked. "I thought he learned from last time."

Sachi groaned in irritation. "Kaa-chan, he didn't learn the last three times."

"Well, you will just have to use your old one," Noriko supplied.

Sachi's voice came with obvious distaste, "I don't like that one. It sticks when I try to fold it."

"It's that or nothing, dear. I'll have a word with Kaito-kun when he gets home."

"Fine," Sachi said with resignation. She opened a closet by the stairs and retrieved a long cane. "I'm ready when you are Shino-san."

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I hope you are all pleased with this story so far.


	5. Chapter 5

I'm sorry that it's a bit later than I normally post. It's my day off which meant sleeping in and then catching up with all the chores.

Enough of my busy life. Back to fantasy. Please enjoy!

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Chapter 5

Learning the Ropes

"Who was it that took your cane?" Shino asked once they began walking.

"My little brother Kaito-kun, he keeps insisting that we get a pet but Kaa-chan is allergic. He thinks he can talk us into getting a service dog if he makes it seem like I need one. He takes my cane and leaves things out for me to trip over." She scoffed. "It's been going on for weeks and he won't stop."

"There are hypoallergenic dogs. Have you considered one of them?"

"Well, even if Kaa-chan wouldn't sneeze up a storm from the dog I really don't need it. I know my way around the house and the bookstore. A cane is much easier to take care of than a dog."

"Have you ever thought of using chakra to sense your surroundings?"

"I don't know much about chakra. I thought it was just for fighting with all those special attacks."

"Chakra is used for ninjutsu, yes, but there are many other uses for it. Some use it to heighten their senses. My teammates use it to enhance their senses of smell and sight. What this means for you is using your chakra to sense your surroundings like expanding your sense of touch."

"Is it kind of like the feeling you are standing really close to someone but you can't tell with your other senses?"

"Yes. I could teach you if you'd like."

"Do you think I could actually do it?" she asked hopefully.

"It might take some work. Once you learn to control your chakra you can learn to cast it out to detect your surroundings. You seem to have a good idea about it already. If you could tell I was looking at you in the bookstore you may already be sensing things around you without knowing it. It may come more naturally to you than others."

"No, that wasn't feeling things with chakra. It was different, though. I could hear your insects buzzing and it was like I could sort of feel you based on the vibrations of the sound. It was clearer than hearing a footstep and guessing the general direction based on a mental map of the bookstore. I knew you were about halfway behind the bookshelf. I even knew you were facing me. It's probably similar to how bats use echolocation. I just heard where you were." She sighed softly. "It's great when you are around. It's like I can hear in more detail than ever. Does that make sense?"

"Somewhat."

"Anyway, can we start now?"

He sat on a bench and waited for her to follow. She sat and tucked her cane away in the large pocket in her jacket.

"You need to feel your chakra inside you like a life force swirling inside your torso."

"I think I can feel it," she said with only slight hesitation.

"Try to focus on moving the chakra to your hands. Hold your hands out and will some of your chakra to move up your torso, down your arms and into your hands."

She did as she was told, holding her hands out palms up and focusing on doing what he asked.

"What's it supposed to feel like?"

"Like an energetic tingling where ever you want it to go."

"Alright, my arms do kind of feel like that."

"Good. Anything uncomfortable should be too much chakra and anything less is not enough."

"I feel like my hands are really sensitive right now." Her fingers twitched slightly at the unfamiliar sensation.

"Good. I'm going to hold up my hand and I want you to tell me how many fingers I'm holding up. Push the chakra out of your hands slowly. Try to sense my hand. It should feel like an extension of your sense of touch."

She held her hands up and took a bracing breath. Sachi pushed the electric feeling from her torso to her hands again and tried to make it extend farther than her skin.

"I don't sense anything." Her disappointed tone did not faze Shino. He would have been very surprised if she had got it on the first try.

"Push your chakra farther," he suggested. "What you are trying to sense must not be in the range of your chakra."

Again she did as she was told and to her surprise, a shape began to make itself known. One she distinctly knew to be a hand.

"Uh-Are you holding up two fingers?"

"Yes very good."

Sachi gasped in surprise. "I really did it?! Yes!" She laughed and bounced in her seat excitedly. "Is it this easy for everyone?"

"Yes and no. What you are learning is a very crude and unrefined way to move chakra. This is what children learn to do first before they refine it into different jutsu. If you were just a child learning this fast they would call you a genius. But at our age, it is hard to say. There are not many people that begin to learn chakra control at our age. You can expect to control it over a longer distance and time with practice. You may even be able to sense things without using your hands. You must be careful not to overuse it or you will tire quickly."

He could tell she was incredibly excited to have made any progress so quickly. She became even more enthused after he told her what she may be able to learn.

"I'll practice. If I can really learn to do all that then I'll practice every day. This is even better than hearing your bugs."

"Does it bother you? Hearing the kikai?"

She seemed confused. "Why would you think it bothers me?"

His face tucked deeper into his hood and his hands buried themselves in his pockets. "Most people avoid my clan because we control insects. They say it's creepy and disgusting."

He was surprised at her hand on his arm. She gripped it tightly with a serious look on her face.

People did not just touch him. It wasn't so much that he minded. It was others that thought him repulsive and the equivalent of touching an insect rather than human flesh as he was.

"I don't think like that, actually, I think it's really cool. See, it's usually hard for me to tell things about someone; things that people that can see find important like height, where they are and things like that. To get an idea of what someone looks like I have to physically touch them and that is only comfortable with people I'm close to. Otherwise, they are just a voice and walking pace to me, but when I can feel your insects buzzing," She ran her thumb over his sleeve, "I can sort of see where you are. I can tell you are tall and thin and I can sort of tell which way you are facing and where your hands and feet are." Her already soft tone turned, even more, gentle. "You think most people don't like you because of your bugs but to me, that is what makes you so interesting. You are not creepy and you can trust me on that."

He was emboldened to hear her honesty. No one had ever said such kind words to him.

"Would you like to know what I look like?"

She sat back and hummed thoughtfully. "Actually," she began, "I would really like the challenge of being able to sense what you look like. It will give me something to work towards."

"You will have to practice often."

"I definitely will. Oh, and just so you know bugs and spiders don't bother me. It's a bit hard for me to find them, so I can't get rid of them if we are trapped in the same room. As long as they don't bother me I don't bother them." She perked up as an idea came to her. "Hey, can I try sensing your bugs next?"

"That's not a good idea."

"Why?" she asked.

"The kikai feed off of chakra and your chakra is particularly appetizing to them."

"Does that mean I can feed them?"

"It's not whether you can or can't. You shouldn't. They aren't pets. If they get a taste of your chakra they are unlikely to return to me."

"Right, sorry. What makes them like me so much?"

"You could think of it like food. You are like a rare delicacy to them."

She sighed in exasperation. "It seems like a lot of insects use me as a food source. Fleas and mosquitoes hunt me down where ever I am. I can hardly go anywhere in the warmer months. I'm eaten alive every time I try."

He nodded to himself knowingly. He was well aware that some individuals suffered the unwanted attentions from insects. It came to no surprise that she was one of these delectable individuals.

"Some people are more appealing to parasitic insects."

"Can we keep practicing?"

They worked for another hour in the same fashion. When Sachi could correctly guess how many fingers he held up they moved to identifying objects. She found it much more difficult to recognize blades of grass, twigs or bark by just her chakra sense. She managed a few correct guesses based solely on the rough shape of the object. He assured her with more practice she would improve.

As they reached the one hour mark her chakra was spent. With only intermittent and light use of it, he didn't expect much else.

"I really appreciate you teaching me this," she said as he walked her home. "Will you stop by again, sometime?"

"I would enjoy that."

"Good, 'till next time, Shino-san."

Neither knew as they parted at Sachi's door, that a single kikai had been lying in wait outside her home. This particular insect had escaped from its master earlier among the dozens that desperately sought out the blind woman. As the woman returned inside, it silently slipped through a crack and made its way into the house. The kikai remained in the corner of a room for some time, wiggling it's antennae to get a sense of the area. It crawled, not daring to fly and alert the sensitive ear of its target. The rogue's tiny legs made the short journey to the second floor a painstakingly slow process. By the time it made it to the woman's bedroom it was already night.

It could smell the woman all around the room. Her scent permeated everything. It could sense her delicious chakra and scampered off straight to her, climbing up the bedding and onto her forehead, where it deemed safe enough from any tossing and turning. It began feeding on her unrestrained chakra. Even nearly depleted as it was, such a singular insect could stuff itself fully without detection in her sleep. And that is exactly what it did. It ruffled its wings happily, not daring to make a sound to risk waking its new mistress. It perched itself contentedly in her hairline, antennae wiggling in the air. It sensed the immediate area and upon deeming it safe, settled down to rest.

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What do you think about the direction of the story so far?


	6. Chapter 6

There aren't a lot of reviews for this story but every one of them is absolutely sparkling! Thank you to everyone who has commented so far!

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Chapter 6

All for the Best

Sachi's internal alarm clock woke her around 8 am. Her tangible alarm clock usually woke her before 6 to get ready for work but on her days off she enjoyed sleeping in a little. Sachi knew it was morning; she didn't need sight to tell her that. Mornings had a unique feel to them and a unique smell. Some said she was crazy when she said it smelled like morning, but it was just that.

Morning smelled like morning. She could stick her nose out of her bedroom window and smell the dew drops on the grass and the fog still low in the air. She swore she could even smell the sunshine on her face as it warmed the earth and dissipated the fog.

Sachi was undeniably a morning person. While she couldn't see the sunrise she could perceive it with her other senses. Nights and sunsets weren't so riveting. They didn't have the same smells or induce the same feelings.

She reached her hand out for the alarm clock. It was an older one that clicked a new number in place every minute. The front had been removed for her to feel the rough numbers against the smooth background. 8:07 am, it read. What a perfect time to sleep in too.

While there were some time-telling products for blind people Sachi usually had to special order such things from other countries. Which could be a very expensive option, but there was simplicity to her improvised method that she always enjoyed.

She stretched out in bed, groaned and sat up with another groan. Her body felt like it had been exercised thoroughly yesterday. No doubt the sensory training with Shino had done this.

She ran her fingers through her short hair when something on top of her head gave a disgruntled buzz. She scrubbed her hands through her hair attempting to dislodge the foreign something. The insect was thrown free of her hair and landed on the bed where it gave a worried set of chirps for its mistress.

"Wait, that sounds..." She stopped scrubbing at her hair. "I know that. Are there some of Shino-kun's bugs here?"

It responded with a single chirp.

"Just one?" she questioned. "Well, you can't stay here. You need to go back to Shino-san." The two chirps that responded were low, as if in disagreement. "You need to go back to your master." A much higher pitch answered her statement and the insect flew back to her head, settling down with the contentment of the cat that caught the canary. She sighed, strode over to her window and opened it.

"Go on back to Shino-san, then." It chirped twice, the second pitch lower than the first, another disagreement.

"Are you doing that twice for no?" It chirped once. "Yes? Well, you're smart. I'll give you that. Fine," she said, shutting the window, "if you won't go back I'll have to return you."

She could feel the insect opening and closing its wings like how a bird ruffled its feathers with discontentment. She dressed in a hurry, throwing on her sunglasses and grabbing her old cane before she left her room. Just before she reached the landing to the stairs the kikai buzzed loudly on her forehead just under her knitted hat. She paused.

"Hey! What?" It continued to buzz gently as it crawled distinctly from the middle of her forehead to the right. "Are you trying to tell me which way to go?"

One chirp, it sounded like an affirmation.

"Look bug," she began with a tone of strained patience, "I'm sure you're trying to help but this is my house and I know where the stairs are."

Two chirps.

"No? Now what?" It crawled from the center to the right again and she scoffed in frustration. "I'm talking to a bug," she whispered to herself.

She stepped forward and her foot met a tinkling sound of hard plastic blocks.

"Kaito-kun left his blocks out again," she groaned. "And right in front of my door this time. He's not even being subtle. Wait," she addressed the insect, "Were you trying to warn me about that?"

If insects were capable of being snarky this one was definitely buzzing in that tone.

"Alright, alright, you did good Kai-san. But you are still going back to Shino-san."

She descended the stairs and passed her father having a cup of coffee on his day off.

"Where are you off to so early?" he asked curiously.

"I have to see a man about a bug." Sachi closed the door and left her father to ponder over her strange words.

"Alright Kai-san which way is it to Shino-san?"

Nothing but silence met her question.

"Let me guess. You don't want to go back so you won't help. Is that it?"

She received a single stubborn chirp for her troubles.

"Fine," she ground out.

She was forced to ask for directions to the Aburame household. Asking for directions was always a hit or miss for someone that was blind. Some didn't quite understand and gave directions that required reading signs or unfamiliar landmarks. Others would treat her like a lost toddler, wanting to lead her by the hand every step of the way. Though she tried to word her questions carefully it was hard to convey a polite request while trying to make it clear she needed help but not too much help.

In a hit or miss game, it was usually a miss.

It took her nearly an hour to walk a laughably short distance to the gates of the Aburame compound. She should have realized Shino was from a clan. She had heard of the Aburame clan before. She didn't have time to wonder if she could just go through before she heard footsteps on the other side.

"Do you have business here?" an unfamiliar voice asked from the opposite side.

"Yes. I need to see Shino Aburame. He doesn't know I'm coming."

"Why do you need to see him?" the man asked.

Sachi wasn't sure if this particular man was nosey or if this was standard procedure for every visitor. Either way, she didn't think it was a good idea to tell this man about the insect Shino had misplaced.

"He left something with me that I need to return as soon as possible. I don't need an appointment to visit a friend do I?"

"Hardly," he responded. She thought that response was strangely contradictory to all his questions. "The Aburame are a private clan. We don't like intruders."

"I'm not intruding. I'm visiting. There is a big difference." She felt slightly affronted. If she was invading wouldn't she have walked in without permission?

"Just a moment," he said. She stood patiently waiting for whatever the guard was waiting for. After a moment, he opened the gate. "They will be expecting you now. Do you require any help?"

"Actually, if you could just lead the way it will be easier, thank you."

In the quiet of the compound it was easy to follow the man's footsteps as he led her down a few alleys left and right and right again. Her mental map kept up fairly well.

"Here it is, just in front of you."

"Thank you." She heard the man departing the way they came as she made her way up the front steps to the door and, though she raised her hand, she didn't get the chance to knock when the door swung open.

Her ears were met with the familiar sound of buzzing from the individual in front of her.

"Hello, can I help you?"

Though she had assumed this was Shino, the rich baritone so similar to his was clearly a different person. Sachi had rarely met with two voices that she could confuse. She was sure this was not Shino.

"Hello, I'm Sachi Hara. I was hoping I could see Shino-san."

"He's off training with his team. I'm his father, Shibi. Is there anything I could help you with?"

"Shino-san left something of his yesterday. I just wanted to give it back."

"You could leave it with me. I shall return it to him."

"Well, if you can take it that's fine with me. It's being remarkably stubborn." She pushed back her hat and fluffed her hair where the kikai rested. "I tried to tell it to go home, but it won't listen to me."

Shibi lifted his arm and called the insect back. Curiously, it buzzed angrily in the negative and buried itself deeper into her hair. Shibi hummed and let his arm drop back to his side.

"You should come in. We will need to talk." He stood aside and reached a hand out to her shoulder to guide her inside, hoping to direct her to a seat. The instant his hand brushed her shoulder the kikai emerged from its hiding spot and buzzed fiercely at him. He retracted his hand quickly.

Being the insect master he was he could understand the insect just as well as any human. If it were capable of verbal speech it's words would have been 'Do not touch the mistress! The mistress does not like you touching!'

Upon its communication, he reluctantly obeyed the singular insect of the species he commanded.

"Follow me." He led her to the sitting room not far from the door. "Please have a seat. Shino-kun should be back within the half hour. "After finding the couch with her cane, she sat on the right side and folded it up, stowing it in her jacket pocket until it was needed again. Shibi sat in an armchair to her right.

"Who was it?" A female voice called as it approached the scene.

"Sachi-san one of Shino-kun's friends. There is a complication with a kikai that won't leave her." Shibi continued addressing Sachi again, "this is my wife, Youko."

The woman sounded surprised at the news. "And the first thing you thought of was to return it? That's very kind of you. Most would rather get rid of them than return them."

"Well, I didn't think about it." Honestly, that didn't even occur to her that it would be easier to squish the insect than to go to all the trouble to return it. But as she thought of it now it seemed like a terribly cruel thing to do; ending a life merely because of the inconvenience it caused. "I just thought I should return it. Does this happen often?"

"Insects are everywhere," the woman stated, "on occasion, some will be lost. They rarely ever find their way back." The woman parted from the conversation politely, mentioning she had things on the stove that would burn if she did not attend to them.

"What happens to him if he doesn't go back? He won't get hurt will he?"

Shibi understood her worry. "We won't need to kill the insect, no. It seems to have chosen you as its new host. It cannot return to Shino-kun as it has claimed you as its new home."

"So, do I just keep it?"

"It will not willingly leave you. It seems to have taken a particular liking to your chakra and it will no longer accept any other master or any other food source. If you would like to keep him he is yours."

"Will I be able to control him?"

"Actually, you already are. He couldn't obey your words to go home as he already was. It will react based on your words and emotions. You may never fully understand it like we Aburame do but it will communicate when necessary in ways you will understand."

"I know what you mean. He's been chirping once for yes and twice for no. But earlier," she thought back to when it tried to direct her around the blocks outside of her room, "can he tell that I am blind?"

"Yes, he senses your emotions as well. We Aburame remain calm, even stoic as some say, to keep them in check. Earlier in the entryway, it informed me that you do not like to be touched. You have my apologies. It sensed your desires and reacted accordingly to your wishes."

"It's alright," she dismissed his apology politely. "It's just part of being blind. I can make it through the day just fine without help. It gets old when people try to help too much. But earlier today it tried to tell me there was something in my way. It saved me from possibly falling down the stairs."

Shibi nodded. "It will do everything in its power to keep you safe. If that is seeing for you then that is what it will do."

"How do I keep it fed? You said it feeds off my chakra but I don't know how to control it much."

"You won't need to worry about that. It will be able to access your chakra when it needs it. With only one to feed you won't notice a large drain on your chakra."

"Is there anything else I need to know to take care of it?"

"It should be very self-sufficient."

The front door opened and Shibi called for Shino to join them. Sachi mused that with all the insects surrounding her she didn't even notice Shino approach the house.

"Sachi-san, it's a surprise to see you here," Shino mentioned as he came upon the scene.

"I'm sorry for popping up unexpectedly," Sachi said with a modest amount of discomfiture for intruding upon her new friend's home.

"It seems one of your kikai escaped and made a new home with Sachi-san. I warned you to be careful, Shino. Now you have to deal with the consequences."

"What consequences?" Sachi asked with worry. She hadn't wished to get Shino in trouble for this.

"I will have to teach you to control your chakra so more do not follow the first," Shino explained.

"It's lucky the kikai was male. If it were female, others may be tempted into following by the dozen."

Shino's mother approached again. "Will you be staying for breakfast, Sachi-san? I have more than enough for everyone."

"That would be nice. Thanks. I left in a bit of a hurry to get here."

The Aburame household was a lively one. Obviously, this was not based on the humans in the house but rather the insects that inhabited the area. She could hear gentle clicks, chirps, and hums from insects all around. It was pleasing, like hearing crickets at night. Now that she thought about it, she could hear them too.

It helped her map out the house just by sound alone. It was as if the insects were echolocating for her. It told her anything from the position of the stairs and table to where the carpet to the sitting room ended. It was strange to suddenly know where everything was. If this was similar to how others saw with their eyes she could see the convenience. She followed the two men to the table and sat down at a spare seat, marveling at the lack of need of her cane in unfamiliar territory.

"Sachi-san, would you mind removing your sunglasses? I have a rule never to wear them at the table," Shino's mother asked.

"Kaa-san-" Shino began.

"It's alright. It's more a comfort for others than myself," she stated without real confidence. She closed her eyes and removed her sunglasses, tucking them in the same pocket as her cane.

"I'm sorry, Sachi-san. I didn't realize. You could keep them on if you would like."

"It's alright," she repeated. "I don't mind. I wouldn't want to break your rule."

Sachi wasn't as comfortable as she let on. Good manners had taught her to respect the rules in another's household and she was loath to deny them. Though she had lied about her glasses, they were just as much a comfort to her as they were to others. Kai-san hummed from atop her head, sending a message to the others to stop staring at her closed eyes. Each of them listened and they dug into their food.

They ate silently. Sachi had the impression that the Aburame family was generally silent and disliked unnecessary conversation. She let her mind wander and she paused in her eating as she arrived at a curious thought.

"Why do you always wear glasses if not to see well?" She reasoned that if the family wore glasses to improve their vision they wouldn't remove them for mealtimes. Therefore, she was left to question why it seemed there must be a rule to remove eyewear. They must have worn them constantly to require such a rule.

"The kikai are sensitive to light," Shino answered. Excessive exposure to the sun can make them irritable."

"Is that why this one has been hiding? I just thought it didn't want to leave."

"It would be best to keep it out of the sun," Shino added.

"Is there anything else I need to know?"

"It would be best to keep it a secret," Shibi answered. "Keep it tucked away and out of sight. Others might not understand. Our clan is generally avoided because of our use of insects. It is best not to advertise your possession of the insect as they may find it distasteful."

"That's a shame," Sachi mused. "I'm really starting to like them."

Breakfast had finished with little else to discuss and Shino led her outside to the yard to practice with her chakra.

"Yesterday you learned to sense using chakra. This time, you will learn to suppress it as well as use less chakra to sense your surroundings. It takes years to hide it properly as high-class shinobi do. But you should be able to learn to hide it enough to draw less attention from the insects."

"Alright, just hiding it a bit doesn't sound so hard."

"You should use this technique while you are around insect users like me."

"Is it difficult to control them around me?" She asked.

Shino paused as he considered his words. In truth, it was a bit difficult at times. He would never admit he had lost control of them just yesterday. "It is not as easy as I would care to admit."

"Sorry," she muttered quietly. She didn't realize being around her was an inconvenience. He seemed to be fine with it, though. He wouldn't have come to see her all week if he didn't want to be around her.

For the next few hours, Shino worked with her to repress her chakra. Like before she had shown a natural aptitude for it. With such an excellent teacher, learning a simple technique didn't take her long. It was sometime after lunch when she could finally mask her chakra signature well enough to take the edge off the insect's attraction to her.

She still had quite a ways to go to perfect it to seem like any other civilian to the insects. And this technique wouldn't even stop her from being detected from even a lowly Genin, but it suited her just fine. She wasn't out to learn how to be a shinobi but rather to make it easier for Shino to be around her.

"There is no need to hold it all the time. But it would be wise to do so when you are near one of us," Shino explained.

"Got it, I should get home. Kaa-chan is probably wondering where I am."

"I'll walk you to the gate."

"You know, you're very quiet except when you talk about chakra or insects," she mentioned idly. He hummed in response and she chuckled. "I like hearing you talk about the things you like. You have a nice voice."

They stopped at the gate.

"I imagine you can make it from here."

"I was fine on my own before and now I'm all the better for having my Seeing Eye bug." She smiled. "Goodbye, Shino-san."

Unknown to Sachi, Shino had cracked a small smile, a Seeing Eye bug? She was definitely an interesting one.

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Someone mentioned that since we don't know much about Sachi yet she is appropriately mysterious. I'm glad you are pleased with this story. I dislike throwing a character's whole background at readers before they are ready. You will learn more about Sachi in the coming chapters. One of them even has a flashback to her childhood.

Till tomorrow, loyal readers!


	7. Chapter 7

There are many more people reading than reviewing. It's nice to know so many people are reading!

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Chapter 7

Knowing your ropes

A week passed and Sachi had practiced daily with her chakra. She had improved greatly upon both repressing and using her chakra to sense her surroundings. Kai-san had been invaluable in her practice. As she improved with each task separately she tried to combine them with surprising success. Kai-san would be an indicator as to when her chakra became too noticeable for his species and she would attempt to correct it.

This very morning on her day off would be another big step. She shook herself both physically and mentally.

"Okay, Kai-san. We can do this right?"

One chirp: yes.

She stole herself and walked confidently out of her home, without her cane in hand. She knew this would be a true test of her sensing abilities. Walking around town without her cane would be a challenge but it was one she was confident she could accomplish.

Despite her confidence, she still carried her folded cane in her jacket pocket. She was blind, not stupid. It was there just in case she wasn't ready or if she ran out of chakra on her walk.

She walked the familiar road to the bookstore and into the busier part of town. Her ears and chakra sense were working overtime to compensate for the lack of her usual method of getting around. Everything was going surprisingly well. Kai-san hadn't made a sound, indicating she hadn't yet screwed up.

She was very nearly strutting down the road with overflowing confidence when she heard the familiar buzz of an insect user outside of her sensing range.

"Kai-san, who is that?" she whispered to the insect under her hat. "Is it Shino-san?"

Two chirps.

"No, Shibi-san then?"

One chirp.

"Oh," she said pleasantly. "Maybe we should go say hello."

She walked toward the restaurant he sat in right up to his table where he sat alone.

"Hello, Shibi-san. Eating by yourself today?"

"Not eating it would seem," he answered. Sachi could detect a hint of bitterness in his tone.

"Why would you be sitting in a restaurant and not eating?" she asked.

"They seem to have forgotten that I am here. I have been waiting for over an hour," he clarified.

"You have been waiting that long?" Sachi asked in surprise. "Has it been really busy?"

"No."

"That's awful." Sachi thought for a moment and sat down opposite him with a smile. "What did you order?"

"The sukiyaki," he answered with curiosity.

"I hope you don't mind a little white lie." She brought out her cane from her pocket and held it close to her as she flagged down a waitress.

"How may I help you?" the woman asked.

"Would you mind checking on our order? The sukiyaki plate for two? We have been waiting for over an hour and our tea was never delivered either."

"Oh, goodness. I'm so sorry," the waitress gushed politely. "I'll check on it right now."

Sachi smiled as the waitress left in a tizzy over their bad service.

"There are some perks to being blind. I rarely go unnoticed or forgotten and I rarely get bad service. I don't usually take advantage of the situation but I didn't want them to forget you out here."

"Thank you. How are you?"

"I'm great," she said with a face splitting smile. "After Shino-san taught me to sense things with my chakra I've been getting better. I can sense a little over a foot in front of me. Today is the first time I took a walk without my cane and Kai-san was there to make sure I was safe."

Shibi could almost see the confidence rolling off the young woman in waves. It was peculiar to see how his son had changed her life so much in such a short time. His accidental loss of her 'Kai-san' had helped her in more ways than the optimistic and independent woman would care to admit.

He worried over her attachment to the insect. He would let Shino deal with that in time.

The waitress appeared again with a tray of tea. "I'm so sorry for how long you had to wait. Your tea will be removed from the bill."

"Thank you very much," Sachi returned with a smile.

"How did you and Shino-kun meet?" Shibi asked after a sip of tea.

"Well, the first time we met was on the street. I heard his insects buzzing and I was worried I was going to walk right into an angry bee's nest. He was just the closest person so I asked him if there was one nearby. We didn't even exchange names until a week later when we met at the bookstore I work at. He ended up walking me home and the rest is history."

Shibi considered her for a moment. This girl was different. It was rare to find someone so unabashedly true to themselves. Her personality was far from what he expected his son to be interested in. Despite this, it was quite clear to Shibi that the two made an excellent match. Her penchant for living in the moment, asking questions and her general forward nature was one that drove the two together. She was quite the compliment to his son's reserved manner.

They seemed to attract each other based on qualities neither knew they were looking for. They say the flower doesn't dream of the bee. It blossoms and the bee comes. She certainly was a vibrant flower attracting her bee.

"Shibi-san, do you think I have gotten better at hiding my chakra from the kikai?"

He did not have to check. The simple fact that his kikai had not reacted was indication enough that she had improved.

"Indeed, you have. Quite a quick turnaround especially for a civilian unaccustomed to using chakra."

"Shino-san said I have a natural talent for it. But he also said the techniques he taught me weren't very hard. So, I guess he doesn't expect much else."

They happily tucked into their food when it was delivered. Sachi remained quiet, recognizing that Shibi was not one to appreciate space filling conversation. She was more than content to occupy herself by stuffing herself full of her share of the sukiyaki.

"Sachi-san?" Shibi intoned some minutes into their meal. She hummed, indicating he had her attention, she wasn't about to talk as she was currently mid-bite. "What do you think of my son?"

Sachi cleared her mouth slowly, taking the time to mull over the question. She wondered why he was interested in her and Shino. Parental curiosity perhaps? Her own mother had displayed such feelings before now. It was only natural Shino's parents would ask their own questions.

"He's a good friend." She thought that was as good a place to start as any. "He's nice and smart and-"

"I am well aware of the facts," he interrupted calmly. "I wish to know how you view him."

"Uh, well," what exactly could she answer with that was not a fact? "I like how thoughtful he is. He always thinks before he speaks and he seems almost endlessly patient. He was able to handle meeting my Kaachan the second time we met. And let me tell you, she's quite the trip." Sachi stopped to laugh good-humoredly. "He has been nothing but kind and generous to me since we met. He's a little lacking on conversation unless I can get him onto a topic he is interested in. Shino-san is just a great guy, I guess."

This seemed to garner his approval as he did not ask her to clarify her words nor did he ask any other questions.

When they had finished their meal and Shibi had paid upon his grateful insistence that he wouldn't have been served without her. He offered one last cryptic line before leaving.

"Sachi-san," he began to ensure she was paying attention, "you are always welcome in our home."

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I enjoy writing Shibi.

Please let me know how much you are enjoying this story so far.


	8. Chapter 8

Here is where we will begin much of the drama that is to come. Just a little chapter for you today. I know my page breaks really need some work. My chapters are too uneven.

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Chapter 8

Scot free

Shino had been summoned early from his morning training by one of his father's kikai. The message had been a simple one: return home immediately. Dutifully, he had obeyed. He could sense another Aburame within his home before he entered.

He found his father in the sitting room along with one of the clan elders.

"I would have assumed," the elder began scathingly as Shino entered the scene, "that the clan heir would not need reminding that giving away clan secrets is a serious offense."

"You would assume correctly," Shino responded calmly not bothering to turn his head to address his superior. It was obvious they were discussing Sachi and the kikai she possessed. He was sure he and his parents had not spilled the secret which would only have left the gate guard to have told of a civilian girl carrying around a kikai.

They had wanted to keep it a secret. It was for this very situation that they were concealing what had happened.

"Don't lie, boy! Not being able to control your hive is an embarrassment. Letting one of the insects escape is terrible enough but allowing it to claim a new host, from outside the clan no less, is disrespectful to your clan. Why have you not ordered its return?"

"Despite what you believe," Shino continued in his almost frustratingly calm tone, "there were several attempts made to order the insect to return. It is because the chakra of the woman in question has proven to be particularly appealing to all kikai, that the insect refused to return."

"If what you say is true, then why not just end the rogue?" the elder asked. "Better that than with an outsider."

"To suggest such a course of action would make us no better than the outsiders," Shibi interjected sagely. "Even an insect has half a soul and you suggest we just stamp it out of existence for following its instincts?"

"Better that than in the hands of a no-name civilian." The elder stubbornly refused to acknowledge their argument. "What on earth do you think this girl could do with one of the kikai? She could sell it to our enemies, use it to find our secrets and know our weaknesses. Have either of you truly given thought to the consequences?"

Shino bit back a scathing retort. When had he ever been known not to think? "Sachi-san's reasons for keeping the insect are her own. If she wished to use the kikai for nefarious purposes she would not have attempted to return it in the first place. It is safe with her."

"That's assuming a lot when we have so much to loose."

"The point will soon be moot," Shibi stated. "Shino has taught Sachi-san to control her chakra so more insects do not flock to her. That as well as the fact that the insect will soon meet the end of its lifespan render this argument pointless. By the end of this month, this will no longer be a topic to argue over."

The elder let out a haughty snort. "See to it that it stays that way. Train the girl if you must and control your hive. This embarrassment will not be tolerated a second time." The elder stood up to leave but as he passed Shino he paused. "Be glad it wasn't a female or this would be an entirely different discussion."

The elder swept out of their home leaving the air tinged with irritation.

"Have you told Sachi-san about the insect?" Shibi asked.

"No."

Shibi shifted his gaze to his son. From the upward quirk of his eyebrow, he questioned his son's failure to mention the end of Kai-san's life span.

"I saw her yesterday. She is learning to rely upon it. She had been forgoing using her cane in favor of using her senses and the kikai." Shibi said.

Shino sighed and acknowledged it would have to be soon. He was not looking forward to delivering the bad news. Sachi would not take it well. The more she learned to rely on it the harder it's death would come to her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was that evening he decided he couldn't wait any longer to tell Sachi about Kai-san's short life. He knocked on the door and was surprised that it was not Sachi that answered.

Noriko smiled at him on the doorstep. "Shino-kun, how kind of you to stop by! You must be here to see Sachi. Come in, come in, make yourself at home. Have a seat at the table and I'll go get Sachi."

She ushered him into the house and into an unoccupied chair. He sat as commanded by the boisterous woman. He turned his unoccupied gaze to the new face at the other end of the table.

A messy rust colored head looked at him over a plate of sweets.

"So you're Shino-san?" The young boy asked. He couldn't have been much older than ten, Shino assumed this young boy to be Kaito, Sachi's younger brother. He had the same dark red locks of hair as his older sister. As his curious brown eyes blinked at Shino, he wondered if Sachi's eyes were like that of her brother's and mother's.

"I am."

"Why do you keep coming around to see Sachi-neechan? Do you like her or something?"

"That is a safe assumption," he said vaguely. Kaito pouted at his answer.

"Kaachan talks about you all the time. She says you and Sachi-neechan are together and then her face goes red." The boy nodded decisively. "That's got to be why you're here."

Sachi entered the room followed by Noriko before he was required to provide an answer.

"Shino-san, I didn't expect you to stop by. What's up?"

Kaito interrupted with a shout, "He's going to ask you on a date!"

"Oh, how sweet!" Noriko swooned.

Sachi huffed out a breath at her family's antics. "Otouto, don't you have things to steal from my room while I'm not there to hear?" She accused her little brother outright, hoping to take the spotlight off of herself and her already pink cheeks.

"No!" Kaito protested. "I don't take your stuff. You just lose it!"

"Then why do I keep finding my cane in your pigsty of a room?" Sachi countered, ruffling the boy's hair. He swatted at her hand.

"I don't know. You must have dropped it in there or something." Kaito's childish arguing didn't earn him any winning points.

"Anyway, what are you here for Shino-san?" she asked.

"I wished to take you somewhere else for your training."

"Did you mean right now?"

"That was my intent."

"Alright. I'll be right back." She addressed her mother as she walked out of the room. "We won't be staying long enough for tea, Kaachan."

Noriko tsked. "I just put the kettle on." She looked to Shino. "You'll have to come around for dinner someday, Shino-kun. Feel free to stop by anytime."

"Thank you. I will keep it in mind."

Kaito spoke softly over his plate with a winning smirk on his face. "I knew it was a date."

"Hush, Kaito," his mother scolded gently. "Eat your snack."

"Alright," Sachi said as she reappeared, "I'm ready when you are."

"Don't forget your cane, dear," Noriko reminded.

Sachi paused, thoroughly flustered. With practicing walking without her cane, she had intended to go without it today. Only now she realized others would think to question its absence.

"Oh, right," she muttered. "How could I forget?" She quickly corrected her mistake and they left.

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Thank you all for your continued support and views! You make years of work so worthwhile!


	9. Chapter 9

I'm glad more people are reviewing. Many of you are eager to see Sachi's reaction to knowing Kai-san's death, I had to break up this really long scene becasue it was just far too so we will see it next chapter.

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Chapter 9

Practice makes perfect

"You haven't told your family about the insect. How do I know? You have been making it around town without your cane, relying on your chakra and the kikai to lead your way yet your mother doesn't know."

She sighed. "Your right." She folded up her cane and stored it in her jacket. "I'm not supposed to tell anyone about Kai-san, right? And I just thought Kaachan might not understand me using chakra. My family is entirely civilian. We respect shinobi but I don't know if she would like the idea of me learning to use chakra because I'm blind." Her tone was melancholy. "She doesn't really restrict me but a couple years ago they asked Kaito-kun if he wanted to join the academy but they never bothered to ask me." She bit her lip and tilted her head towards him. "I don't know why I let it bother me. I didn't want to be a shinobi but it seemed unfair that no one ever bothered to ask." She sighed again. "I know I can't do things the way everyone else does and there are some things I just can't understand because I'm blind but I would have liked the option to say no or discover for myself that it wasn't for me." She pouted and continued, "Sorry, I'm rambling. You probably don't like that."

"What would make you think that?"

"Well you're always so quiet, I would think you appreciate silence rather than just space filling conversation."

"Your words are not unwelcome," he stated plainly. "That is because words that tell what kind of person you are are not space fillers. You may speak often but you do not ramble on about nonsense."

She hummed. "I guess you're right about that. Anyway, what is so special about this new place?"

"It will be a quieter environment."

"I liked training in your family's compound. All the sounds are relaxing."

"You may find this place equally relaxing."

"Oh, great!" She said with enthusiasm and he noticed an increase in the spring in her step. "Hey, I hope my family didn't bother you. Sometimes they can seem a bit much."

Shino wondered exactly what was 'too much' about them and why he might find it unfavorable. Several words came to mind, but he dared not voice them.

"While my clan is generally quiet, I've no shortage of dealing with a variety of other groups and individuals."

"Well, that is good to know. How far is this place?"

"Not much farther."

They walked along a dirt path in the forest for some minutes. Sachi remained quiet as she navigated the winding, rooted path with the help of her chakra and the occasional observation from Kai-san. When they reached a clearing in the forest they stopped.

This particular clearing in the wide Konoha forests intersected with one of the small streams that ran through it. The water pooled in the immediate area to create a small lively pond holding a variety of insect and plant life among the shimmering waters. It was far enough from the main streets of Konoha to drown out the sound of the busy street life and was instead alive with animal life. It was not suited to regular shinobi training. Shino only frequented the place as it was a perfect breeding grounds for many insects he would take to study.

"I would like to teach you to refine the skill I have taught you. It would not be possible to sense your surroundings while completely hiding your chakra. This way you should still be able to navigate the world without undue attention by using less chakra. It will likely take longer to learn than either process I have previously taught you."

He sat at the base of a tree close to the pond. She took his example and sat next to him.

He began by reviewing what he had already taught her and she was very eager to show him how far she had come.

"The two skill you know are opposites. With one, you push your chakra out and with the other, you pull it within yourself. The easy way to explain it would be that you will only be emitting a low level of chakra. You will learn to sense more while using less chakra."

"Well, that doesn't sound so hard."

Moving to face each other, Sachi with her hands held up between them, they worked diligently for some time. Shino coached her to properly execute the way to enhance her senses while remaining less detectable to the kikai. Every so often he warned her that she wasn't as inconspicuous as she needed to be and with a frown, she would fix her mistake. After the fourth reminder, she groaned in exasperation and let her head fall back against the trunk of the tree with an audible thunk.

"This is hard. It's nothing like using my hands!"

"You may be relying too much on your hands. Try pushing chakra from your torso outward rather than from your palms.

She pursed her lips and focused her chakra ahead of her and found it went farther than before. Her head canted slightly to the side as if she yearned to listen as well as feel the area but she found that when her head turned her chakra tended to follow the direction she faced. She turned her head back to him.

Her lips parted slightly as she tested the new range of her abilities farther and farther into the air until-

She jumped in surprise.

She could sense Shino no more than 3 feet away, the spot she knew where his voice originated from.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I can sense you," she said without much thought. It was so similar and so different from feeling the world around her with her hands that she could hardly spare the brainpower to fully answer his question as she marveled at the new sensation.

"How much detail can you sense?"

She analyzed what she could perceive. Where feeling had previously been at the forefront of understanding the complexities of textures, shapes, and forms this new sense was like an overload of information. When feeling something she would have started by getting the rough shape of an object and then proceed into more detail. But her chakra assaulted her mind with all details at once. Rather than slowly learning what he looked like her mind's eye instantly created an idea of him.

It was a much more effective and detailed method. That is... if she had done this right.

"You're about 3 feet away. You're wearing glasses and a long jacket with a hood."

"Yes. What else?"

"Uh... You've got your hands in your lap." She smiled suddenly and laughed as she spoke. "I like the way your hair stands up." She calmed her laughter and continued with more confidence. "You're wearing open toed shoes and long pants."

"Can you tell what I look like?"

She didn't speak as she concentrated. Her brow furrowed and she toyed with her fingers in her lap. Her first instinct had been to reach up to his face upon his question. She had to remind herself that it had not been an invitation to touch him, rather than a question of her sensing abilities. She leaned forward closing about a foot of the distance between their faces and noticed the proximity sharpened her focus.

"It gets more detailed the closer I get," she supplied. Remembering her earlier observation she added, "and it bends where ever I face."

For her benefit he leaned closer to her, eating up more space till their faces were almost intimately close. Her mouth parted slightly and she held her breath as she focused harder on his face. Her focus remained solely on his features as he watched her own slowly change into a bright smile.

While he waited he mused that this was the longest time her face had been turned in his direction. With any other conversation that they had, she kept her head tilted to have her ear in his direction, listening rather than seeing him talk. As she passed more and more time facing him he let his own eyes rove over her.

She was quite pretty. Her face was rounded gently and her features were feminine and gentle. When she smiled her teeth were shown to be straight and white and though he couldn't see her eyes through the dark sunglasses she wore he imagined they would be just as soft and kind as the rest of her features.

For the first time in her life, she could understand what someone looked like without having to touch them. The sensation was foreign but wonderful, quite the novel experience. She thoroughly enjoyed taking in his appearance for the first time.

His jaw curved sharply as it smoothed out over a square chin. His angular eyes met flesh at a point just below his eyebrows. She could tell his nose was slightly longer and sharper than her own rounder one and his thin lips turned slightly downward as the silence stretched on.

She felt conflicted upon this observation. She was beyond ecstatic to have witnessed a change in his expression. But his frown brought her out of her concentration and back to the present where she realized their faces were far too close to be completely innocent. Her mind called attention to the rudeness of her actions and she sat back clearing her throat which did nothing to distract from the heat she could feel adorning her cheeks.

Shino hoped she would speak soon if only so he wouldn't have to repeat his question. He guessed it had been close to two minutes before she began to smile again. Her lips curved upward in a smile so big her cheeks touched the bottom of her sunglasses.

"I like the way you look."

Shino prayed she couldn't sense the sudden heat on his face.

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I loved being able to imagine Shino this way! I wish there were more stories about him.


	10. Chapter 10

Oh my... ten chapters already? where has the time gone?! And it already has 27 reviews! You flatter me with your lovely comments, dear readers.

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chapter 10

A toss up

"What's wrong?" she asked.

He wasn't entirely sure she had sensed his blush. He willed it to dim. "What do you mean?"

"Something's been wrong since you stopped by my house. Don't pretend otherwise. I can tell even without chakra that something isn't right."

He sighed out a lungful of air. Of course, she had noticed something amiss. She was highly perceptive, almost like a sixth sense to make up for her lack of sight. He leaned against the tree behind him and considered his words carefully. There was no use beating around the bush.

"Kai-san is reaching the end of his life."

"What?" she shrieked loudly, a protective hand cupped over the spot where the insect lay now buzzing with the same distress as it's mistress. "He- he's going to die? But-"

Her lip quivered and her attachment was more than apparent to his surprised gaze. He knew she had cared for the insect. He cared for his hive as well. But he carried so many and lost them to battle so frequently he couldn't afford to get so attached. She didn't have the luxury of that detachment. To her, this loss was deep and personal as losing a precious and dear pet and it would no doubt come harder when the time came.

"He was not newly hatched when he left. The time you had was more than generous. He lived an easy life with you rather than dying sooner in battle. He is ancient as far as their lifespan goes. How old? About 3 months."

"But he can't die! But what do I do without him? I don't want to go back to using my cane all the time. I can only walk without it because Kai-san is there to help. I can't use my chakra all the time. It's too tiring. I need him!"

She sniffled and choked on her sobs, her hand remaining over her beloved friend in an irrational attempt to protect him.

Shino wasn't sure what to do. He had never had to deal with a crying woman before. Hinata was the only woman he spent any time with and he couldn't recall her ever crying in his presence. He was at a loss of what to do and felt he must take control of the situation. Her sobs were tearing through his heart in a way that made him both angry and sympathetic. He wanted her to stop crying not because it made him uneasy but more so because he could see the pain he had caused her.

He considered his options quickly. He had thought of a worst case scenario if she took the news badly and he was confident that his plan would work well in his favor if all went smoothly.

"There may be another way."

Sachi paused in her sniffling to wipe at her cheeks and ask, "what do you mean?" Despite the tears, her voice sounded hopeful.

He took her right wrist, gently pulling it away to reveal the vigilant insect on the look out for what disturbed its mistress. He coaxed it forward to his hand with assurances to return it to it's home. Her left hand caught his wrist as the insect climbed onto his finger. Her small hand couldn't even encircle his whole wrist.

"What are you going to do?" she whispered with fear and worry in her soft voice. She didn't like being separated from Kai-san like this. He had become a permanent fixture in her life and she suddenly felt vulnerable and naked without the gentle tickle of his legs on her skin.

"I will return him. He won't remain in this world for more than a few days. But," he added hastily when her lips turned down in a grimace, "there is still time for him to procreate. Within the week the eggs will hatch and you may have one."

"But if they only live 3 months won't you have to continually replace them for me?"

"Not exactly. A male only lives a maximum of 3 months. A female kikai can live up to a year. But this does mean you will have to work harder to keep insects from flocking to you. The males will have a tendency to follow the females."

"I'll work harder. I promise!" With most of her sorrow dissipated she smiled at him. If this was the reward he would gladly take the upcoming consequences.

"It will take them some time." He summoned a female and let them scurry off to do as he instructed.

"Not that I'm complaining but why is it that you can't just give me any female? Does it really have to be from Kai-san?"

"Just like any species traits will be passed down to offspring. Kai-san's offspring will have a stronger instinct to protect you as well as an increased bond between you both. While the bond you share with Kai-san is strong, he had a will to be able to defy you."

"Like when I first told him to go back to you and he refused?"

"Exactly. A kikai born of one you are already attuned to will be more willing to obey your commands."

"I guess that makes sense." Sachi yawned and relaxed against the tree next to him. "What time is it?"

"Late. the sun has already set."

"I must be getting better at this if I used my chakra for that long."

"It is because you were using less in your observations today."

She hummed her response and sighed tiredly. "Can you see the stars?" she asked.

Shino peered over his glasses. Bright lights speckled the sky, dancing far out of their reach.

"Yes," he answered plainly.

"Are they really as special as everyone says? Are they that beautiful?"

"I suppose so."

"How do they make you feel?" She yawned again and leaned her head on his shoulder. He looked down at her. It was strange how easily she touched him in such innocent ways. It was as if she truly didn't care about the insects under his skin. It thrilled him.

Shino wasn't prone to perform eloquent speeches about the wonders of the universe. But she had asked him a question and found he was unwilling to deny such a simple request to a woman that was so sweet and kind to him. Perhaps the endorphins caused by her touch were to blame but he felt close to her in a way he had never felt with anyone else.

"Most feel infinitesimally small when they stare into space," he answered softly.

"I know what most say about it. But what do you feel when you look at it?"

He turned his eyes back to the sky and searched for an honest answer to her question.

"I feel there are wonders both great and small that exist for our enjoyment and too often we spend our lives looking in the wrong direction."

She hummed sleepily. Using so much chakra in one day was wearing on her. It took very little time for her to fall asleep on him. In such a calm atmosphere he wasn't surprised. His kikai shifted excitedly at the proximity. He wasn't entirely sure if it was the proximity to her chakra or if they simply echoed his own peaceful feelings of her resting against him.

He was about to quiet the swarm when she hummed sweetly and pressed against his side to seek more contact. Her glasses lay askew on her face allowing a downward view of her closed eyes. Shino could see her long eyelashes that dusted the top of her cheeks as she napped against him. His own eyes softened at the view.

The two insects flew back to their masters and Shino pondered waking her up. He needn't have bothered. As Kai-san buzzed his descent on her head and landed she shot up and hovered a hand over her beloved insect.

His heart warmed strangely seeing a woman not only accepting but attuned to the kikai. He had never seen anyone care for an insect so much, not even in his clan of bug masters. They respected them, yes. But they never formed such a dangerously temporary attachment.

Through such a small gesture Shino could see a glimpse into her soul. She had a love and respect for all life great and small. He had never met an individual that embodied the phrase "couldn't hurt a fly" more than her.

"I will take you home. Your chakra supply is low. It would be unwise to continue to use it until tomorrow."

"Yeah. You're right. Would you mind leading me back? It's not easy navigating in the woods."

"Of course." She took his arm and he proceeded to lead her back the way they came.

"It's a shame I can't use my chakra now. I'll bet I could find my way in the dark better than you could." She smiled at her little quip.

It was not pitch black. The light of the moon was more than enough to go by especially for a shinobi.

He stopped at the base of the steps to her home and she squeezed his arm once before letting go.

"I don't know how to thank you enough for what you're giving me. Kai-san is more than just an insect. He is more like freedom."

She stepped close, closer than most would find comfortable. He felt a weak wave of her chakra passing over his face as she leaned in. Her hand raised to gently capture his chin between her small fingers, using it as an anchor for placement.

Shino was sure he knew what she was trying to do and stood eerily still as his head dipped low. He could see her cheeks blazing an adorable shade of red even in the semi-darkness. There was an impossibly small nervous smile upon her lips as she stood on her toes. Shino's eyes blinked rapidly as she approached as if any number of them would clear her from his vision. His lips parted slightly in surprise and his hands removed themselves from his pockets in anticipation.

His own cheeks heated slightly, disappointed but undeniably pleased at the unexpected placement of her lips on his cheek. He couldn't help but think that at this proximity she would surely feel the heat of his cheeks beneath her lips. He closed his eyes, enjoying the tingling feeling of her skin against his, her soft cheek brushing the corner of his mouth. She pulled away far too quickly for his liking. It left him strangely unsatisfied and suddenly very desired as if it only took one woman for him to realize that he wanted to be wanted by someone.

"Thank you, Shino, for everything." She left him in the street with more on his mind than he would ever admit to.

Yes. He certainly did want to be wanted. Who wouldn't?

Without even trying this woman seemed to awaken a softer side of him. He had no delusions that he wanted to be with her in a romantic fashion. He would never have spent so much time and risked so much with his clan if he was not interested in her at all.

It was no secret that relationships within the Aburame clan were strained at best. So few people could even be in the same room with an insect without screaming and claiming their disgust.

Even the few that were unafraid did not seem to covet a relationship with a shinobi known to house insects within their body.

Shino had held no rose colored delusions growing up. He knew in all likely hood he would end up in an arranged marriage. As the clan heir, he would be required to take his father's position as the leader and produce an heir of his own sometime in the near future. He had all but resigned himself to a loveless marriage and life. Even if he did find a woman to love him, he assumed his luck would have it that she would be incompatible or from her own clan line that would not allow them to be together.

Sachi seemed all too good to be true. Not only was she unafraid of insects but she held a respect for them equal to or greater than himself. With the kikai's unrestrained desire for her it was clear her genetics were compatible with that of himself and his clan. She also did not belong to a clan, leaving her free to marry whomever she chose.

But all of the cold and calculated details didn't matter. She was without a doubt a good woman. She was unreservedly kind and empathetic. She understood things about him that others could not. She knew what it was like to be different and she did not pity him for his pessimistic views he knew others had about him.

He had spent much of his youth observing others. The way that couples so freely touched each other left him slightly jealous that he would never have that as he operated under the assumption that no one would want to touch him for their disgust of the insects he housed.

But Sachi seemed to give it no second thought. There was not even the slightest tremor in her hands as she touched him in such innocent ways such as a hand on his arm. It was subtle but it told him that she was not doing it only to prove that she can; to prove that she could overcome feelings that held her back. She simply desired to be near him. She held his arm or shook his hand just as easily as she hugged her mother or ruffled her brother's hair.

There was nothing Sachi had to overcome in her friendship with him. She enjoyed her time with him. He didn't need to ask to know that. With her honest personality and candid speech he was sure to know if she didn't want him around.

When she had learned of the disgust others felt for him she did not simply state "that's how people are." Instead, she had proved to him that not everyone thought of him in the same way. Despite the fact that they could not correct everyone on their views, the two did not have to agree with what the masses thought about them both.

Though he had never thought about it, he had operated under the assumption that all blind people required much help in their daily lives. But Sachi had proved to be very self sufficient and her natural aptitude for chakra control had surprised him. And revelations about her were enlightening him, proving to him more and more every day that even his own assumptions about himself were wrong. He was not nearly as stoic and cold as he portrayed. He learned he had a softer side to himself that he had never known.

His lips curved upward in a semblance of a smile. He had never thought of himself as a know-it-all or an arrogant, proud man incapable of admitting his oversights but with all the times she had unintentionally proved him wrong he was beginning to wonder if he was quite as analytical and realistic as he thought. It was a very humbling experience.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sachi had managed to suppress her nervous jitters until she was safely tucked away in her room. She could hardly believe she did that! She buried her face in her hands and groaned.

Shino probably thought of her as such a frivolous, innocent thing now that she had kissed him on the cheek. She had so desperately wanted to kiss his lips but she hadn't had the courage to do so. He hadn't shown her anything but friendship since they met, despite her mother brashly stating otherwise.

She wanted Shino to know she was interested in him and now she feared she had given him mixed signals. A kiss on the cheek was the sort of thing friends and family do.

Now she wasn't even sure how Shino felt about her. She had assumed he thought of her as a friend but when she had leaned in close she could hear his heart beat faster and his kikai shifted restlessly. The sharp intake of breath he took when her lips pressed against his skin was confusing. She wasn't quite sure if it was surprise or any number of other emotions that caused it.

She dressed for bed and thumped down on the mattress, too tired to care about laying down properly. She reached a hand out to her clock while she buried her face in her pillow. 11:14, it read. They had certainly been out late, no wonder she was tired.

The short nap she took at the pond wasn't long enough to help her at all. Even so, she appreciated the warmth and comfort Shino had provided. It was lovely to hear and feel the vibration of the insects within him as they lulled her to sleep. He made her feel safe even in the middle of the woods.

She could tell he was a good man at heart with a hard exterior, something she knew shinobi strived to become. He was kind to her and had a few strange quirks that she found endearing. She would have to try harder in the future to make sure he knew what she wanted from him.

She turned her head to the side breathing deeply to replenish the oxygen in her lungs from the time she held her face in her pillow. She fell asleep with thoughts of Shino playing in her mind.

* * *

Feel free to tell me how much you hate or love being teased.


	11. Chapter 11

I have a feeling this will raise a lot of emotions.

* * *

Chapter 11

Off on the wrong foot

A few quiet days passed as Shino monitored the female kikai laying her eggs and letting them hatch. He kept them carefully contained until they were fully grown to adulthood and chose a female to give to Sachi.

Sachi waited anxiously for news from Shino. The few times she saw him in the coming days she would immediately ask for an update. With each minute that ticked by she was convinced that she could feel Kai-san grow weaker. In the quiet of her room, she would whisper soothing words to the insect, more for herself than anything else.

Just 3 days past when Shino returned and her nerves were wound tight in anticipation. Sachi could hear the faint buzzing that indicated Shino was walking up to her house. She ran down the stairs two at a time and crossed the kitchen so fast that Shino hadn't had time to knock before she threw the door open.

"Shino-san!" She shouted a little too loudly.

"Sachi-san," he acknowledged, "would you like to take a walk."

"Yes, definitely." She closed the door behind her and walked the familiar path with him to the pond that had become their default meeting place.

"I have selected a female to give to you."

"Will this one be any different from Kai-san?"

"In terms of care, no. Female kikai are used to track. Wherever you are I will be able to find you. This kikai will live up to a year."

"Shino-san?" her voice was quiet and serious. He looked to her. "Why are you giving me another insect anyway? I know that clans guard secrets very carefully and I know Kai-san was just an accident but isn't voluntarily giving me one a bad thing?"

"No. In some cases, it can be considered a good thing."

They arrived at the pond and sat on the grass under one of the trees.

"I have the female here. Hold out your hand, please."

She did as he asked and felt the insect crawl from his hand to hers.

"You need to gather chakra into your hand to feed her."

She pushed chakra to her hand. Its antennae wiggled excitedly, taking in its meal.

"She is your's now."

Kai-san flew down to Sachi's outstretched hand to see the newcomer. Sachi could feel the two moving gently across her palm as they wiggled their antennae and ruffled their wings. She was puzzled at the sounds that came from both insects. They buzzed and hummed alternatively, almost like human speech.

"What are they doing?" she asked.

Shino listened to the unrefined communication between insect to insect.

"I suppose you can say Kai-san is explaining the job to the female."

"What do I do with Kai-san now?"

"He is nearing the end. You may leave him with me if you like."

Sachi knew that was for the best. She wouldn't know what to do with her little friend when he finally died. Friends, family and some pets would get funerals at the end of their lives. Even as dear as Kai-san was to her it seemed strange to hold a funeral for a bug. But it seemed disrespectful to do anything else.

She sniffled lightly, sad to know she would be parting with her friend. "I'm going to miss you Kai-san. You were so good. You can go now." She touched her hand to Shino's knowing Kai-san was likely too weak to fly much more and knowing how stubborn he was about leaving her she added, "go on." He chirped tiredly and crawled onto Shino's hand, joining the others of his kind.

"Now what do we do?" Sachi asked.

"You haven't named this one yet."

She laughed dryly. "Don't be silly, Shino-san," she said. "I've had a name picked out for days. I'll call her Kai-chan." She smiled and lifted the newly named Kai-chan to her forehead where she began her vigil.

Shino let out a breath of amusement and a corner of his mouth turned up. She amused him greatly and the names she chose seemed to fit a theme of the kikai's general name.

"I saw you smile!" Sachi exclaimed.

He felt the familiar tingle of her chakra around him as she sensed his expression. Her own smile returned his in greater intensity.

"I'm glad I met you, Shino-san. You've changed my life so much." Shino definitely agreed.

"Would you like to get lunch?"

XXXXXXXXXXXX

They sat in a booth where Sachi spoke to him about anything and everything that took her fancy. She didn't jabber on incessantly or awkwardly and Shino was willing to hear her commentary. He enjoyed hearing her talk of new things she experienced through her chakra sense. She marveled over the new detail of the world around her and it was interesting to hear about the world from her perspective.

"I knew there would be a lot of signs outside of shops and on the road but I didn't think there were that many."

This was one of the many things she mentioned to him as they ate. He listened avidly to her words and watched her innocent expression of fascination turn to bemusement as she fell silent. Her forehead wrinkled and her lips pouted slightly. He couldn't help but wonder what thought paused her so suddenly to leave her hand hovering her spoon over her meal.

She finally laid her spoon down and addressed him.

"Shino-san, what's all this?" She waved her hands around in no particular order, rhyme or reason. She tapped her fingers around in the air as if she was trying to catch wisps of smoke. She continued by making semi-circles over and over and tapped her fingers together, her nails making a series of small clicks.

Shino's silence told her he didn't have an adequate response, so she explained.

"The man behind me," she said quietly, "every time he speaks he moves his hands." Shino hummed his understanding.

"He is talking with his hands. The movements mean nothing."

"Is that what that is? I heard about it but I assumed it was some kind of nonverbal code like sign language, at least from what I've heard. Why do they do it if it means nothing?"

"Some people find it useful for their thought process."

"I think it's weird," she said idly, taking another bite.

She would think things strange. Suddenly perceiving the world beyond hearing and touch would take some getting used to.

When they were through with their meal Shino walked her back home like any other day. They made their way mostly in silence as Sachi concentrated on sensing her way through the streets.

"Thank you so much, Shino-san. You have no idea how much you have given me. I'll see you soon won't I?"

"I'll stop by the bookstore tomorrow if I'm not called for a mission."

"That's great. See- uh-" Her parting stopped as her head tilted slightly to the door. Shino had seen this before and prepared himself. But it was not the flamboyant Noriko that opened the door. A tall, well-built man with the same vivid hair color as Sachi stood in the doorway, looking down at the both of them. He couldn't have been more than a half an inch taller than Shino, but from the scowl he wore and the well-worked muscles framed by the door, Shino could tell this man was used to looking intimidating.

Though Shino was far from being intimidated. He had fought off many more formidable and terrifying opponents. Meeting Sachi's father, as that's who the man logically must have been, fell more into the worrisome category of interactions for Shino. He did care for Sachi and being well liked by such a kind woman meant nothing if her father did not approve of their time spent together.

"Afternoon," he greeted gruffly."Sachi, is this the guy your mom has been going on about?"

"Tousan," Sachi began softly, "this is Shino Aburame, my friend. Shino-san, this is my father."

"Aoi Hara. Come in. I insist," Sachi's father said.

While Aoi seemed rather stiff in his greeting he did not seem entirely unwelcoming. Aoi seemed to be more perturbed as if the situation bothered him. They sat at the kitchen table, each man took up opposite ends as Sachi looked to be playing peacekeeper in her perpendicular position.

"You didn't tell me you made a new friend Sachi," he said gently to his daughter. His brow furrowed when his eyes met her form and he inquired curiously, "where is your cane?"

It seemed Sachi was caught. Her family knew she wasn't overly fond of using others to lead her around, always preferring to rely on herself and her cane. But now that she had obviously been out without it, she was faced with telling the truth.

"I left it at home. Shino-san has been teaching me to use my chakra to sense my surroundings. It's so useful and more accurate! I can walk around town and not bump into anything, even without my cane. It's amazing, Tousan! I'm just sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

"And why haven't you told me sooner? Have you even told your mother?"

"No, I didn't know if you would understand. Where is Kaachan?"

"Out, at the market. She is going to be baking tomorrow." Sachi seemed to understand this but Shino didn't quite comprehend the connection. He let it go, baking and groceries were hardly important now. "Is that all you are learning to use chakra for?" Aoi asked, not to be swayed from the main topic.

"Yes. It's so I can get around on my own in a better way than using my cane."

Aoi sighed. "Well, I don't see why you can't do that. I just don't want you doing anything dangerous."

"I'm not, Tousan."

"Sachi, if you'll excuse us. I would like to talk to Shino-san alone."

"Alright," she whispered forlornly. Removing herself from the table she went up the stairs.

"Aburame, then, from the shinobi clan?" Aoi asked with a grunt after she had left.

"Yes," he responded plainly.

"What is your standing among the clan?"

"My father is the clan head. I am the clan heir."

"That so?" He responded rhetorically with a raised eyebrow. "Listen, I'm not going to tell you how to live your life. I'm not going to tell you that you can't be friends with Sachi. You seem to make her happy but I know how those clans work. Marriages are only to strengthen the clan and they only accept outsiders if they are strong and well-bred and I think we both know that isn't my Sachi. She's not a shinobi and clans will write her off the moment they know she is blind. They don't want to take the chance of more blind children in their clan, especially one's to a clan heir." His gaze softened to a more imploring look. "I love my Sachi but we both have to realize that she has no future with clan business. She cares for you a lot, more than just as a friend, I'm sure. You need to let her down easy. You know you can only ever be friends and you can't lead her on. I've seen plenty of girls get their hopes up only to be denied by clan policies." He sighed and shook his head. "Just do this for me, for Sachi, please. If you care for her at all you should set the record straight before she gets hurt."

"You're wrong. That is because Sachi-san possesses qualities that my clan would find highly desirable. I am also aware that her condition is not genetic. But all of this is made moot by the fact that we are only friends."

Aoi sighed.

"You'll have to forgive me for not believing your word over all that I have witnessed. Girls like her get their hopes up all too often and it never ends well. And, really," he shook his head again. "I've been around the block more than once. There is something between you two. I don't need to have seen you two long to notice it. Not to mention Noriko has been going on about it non-stop. She says you meet nearly every day. You know what they say if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck..." He trailed off leaving Shino to believe that this man wasn't about to believe him anytime soon. "Whatever happens, please remember what I said. Don't hurt Sachi. I don't care if you are a clan heir or a shinobi I'll still kick your ass," he said with finality and a large finger pointed directly at Shino's chest.

"You shouldn't worry. Why? Because I will never hurt Sachi-san. Whether or not there is something between us is of little consequence. As I have said, I don't believe my clan would reject her if they knew all the details. I understand your reasons but you should put your concerns to rest."

Aoi sighed and rubbed his forehead with a large hand. "I believe we are at an impasse. Well, I think we have both said what needs to be said. Come on, then, I'll show you out."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sachi didn't want to believe her ears. When her father had excused her from the conversation she had sat, halfway up the stairs to listen in to what they were saying.

To hear her father saying she wasn't worthy of a man like Shino...

She stifled her surprise behind her hand.

"Strong and well bred... that isn't my Sachi."

Part of her wanted to be angry, to burst down the door of every nay-sayer and force them to change their mind. But she could only rush to her music player and turn it on loudly to drown out the sounds from the kitchen. It was both a blessing and a curse to hear so well. Kai-chan circled her head keeping a look out for external forces that upset her mistress.

Sachi really did like Shino. He was a good listener and he was so kind and sweet. From all the help he had given her by teaching her a new way to rely on herself to giving her Kai-chan after he let her keep Kai-san, she was really taken with him.

All the time they had spent talking and walking around just being good friends had given her insight about him even during the times he barely spoke.

She didn't love him yet, it was far too soon for that. Sachi wasn't the type to take things fast and she guessed Shino was the same way. Two months was much too soon to think about anything so serious but she knew in her heart she was hoping their relationship was traveling in a romantic direction.

But it seemed everyone else thought otherwise. Was she really such a lost cause in a romantic sense? Would _anyone_ want her for who she was and not discredit her because she was blind?

* * *

Did you all hate me for teasing you last chapter? Because I only had one review and none of the regular reviewers.


	12. Chapter 12

I had a feeling Aoi would come across in the wrong light with his first appearance. Don't judge him too harshly just yet.

* * *

Chapter 12

Water under the bridge

The following morning Sachi couldn't get her brain to shut off. Questions flew through her mind faster than she could even attempt to address them. After several moments bent over her breakfast she settled on the foremost.

"Kaachan, am I pretty?" she asked her mother.

"Well of course, dear! Why do you ask?"

"I was just curious."

"Does this have anything to do with that chakra sense your father told me about?"

"He already told you?"

"Yes, just last night. Your father mentioned this is better than your cane, yes? Is this why you are so concerned with your looks all of a sudden?"

"Yeah. Now that I can sense things I can understand a bit better about how things look."

Noriko hummed her understanding. "You are very pretty, dear. Clear face, beautiful hair just like your father. Your eyes are gorgeous. I don't know why you insist on hiding them."

"People don't like them. I can feel them staring and I hear them talk about me. There is never nice things about my eyes."

"Well, maybe they should get over it. After all, how many Hyuuga go around this village?"

This was a common disagreement between mother and daughter. Though Noriko often complimented Sachi's eyes the girl would never let anyone but her family see them.

Sachi understood that the colors of her eyes and the Hyuuga's Byakugan looked alike when her mother explained long ago that Sachi's pupils were a grayish white and her iris remained a lighter gray than the pupil. She didn't care how much her mother praised them. She knew the sight of her eyes disturbed people. Not wanting to cause any distress, she had taken to hiding them since she was young.

"What else is bothering you?" Noriko asked astutely. Her mother was the one she had inherited her own heightened emotional perception from.

Sachi sighed. "I overheard Tousan talking to Shino-san last night. He said that I was never going to be good enough for anyone from a clan like Shino-san. He said being blind was enough for them to turn me away without a second thought."

Noriko heaved her own deep sigh. When she spoke her voice was calm and reasonable.

"Sachi, I may not have been there for that conversation but your father would never say you were not good enough. He loves you, you know that."

"That's what he said, Kaachan! He said clans only want people that are strong and well-bred and that isn't me." Her tone saddened. "I really like Shino-san. He understands me. I don't want anyone to tell me we can't be together just because I'm blind. That's not fair."

"You're right. It's not. But I don't think Shino-kun is the type to be scared off so easily. If he was bothered by you being blind do you think he would still be coming to see you?"

"Well, no," she admitted.

"Maybe you should talk to Shino-kun next and see what he thinks."

Aoi chose that moment to shuffle sleepily in the kitchen, unlike the rest of his family he was not a morning person. Sachi stood and made her way to the door, not wanting to face her father at the moment she was still so upset with him.

She was sure her mother was right. Her father did love her and he wouldn't say such things about her so easily. Perhaps she had got it wrong but that was a line of questions to come back to when she wasn't so sore about the things she heard.

"I'm going to work," she announced before she shut the door behind her.

"Alright, you!" Noriko hissed to her husband, brandishing a wooden spoon threateningly in his direction. Her hardened gaze woke him up instantly, sending a chill down his spine. "If you want breakfast you had better start explaining what happened last night!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Despite her warring emotions, Sachi couldn't help but be excited and amazed at her new abilities and how much easier her job became. While she still used her hands to read the titles she no longer took so much time to search for the boxes in the store room or empty spaces on the shelves. She could move faster and more surely thanks to her new ability, not to mention a few helpful chirps from Kai-chan.

It seemed Shino had been right about the connection between herself and an offspring of Kai-san. Rather than giving yes and no chirps and general directions as her predecessor, Kai-chan seemed to be able to be more in tune with Sachi and they were learning each other more every day. Her ability to pick up on Sachi's emotions and respond appropriately was greater than Kai-san's. This morning and all of last night Kai-chan had hummed soothingly to Sachi when she was upset and continued to do her job as a seeing eye bug.

Sachi wasn't sure at this point but to her, it sounded like Kai-chan's chirps were different that just a simple yes or no. It was almost as if a slightly different pitch could indicate a different answer. Different tones of 'no' could almost sound like 'not at all' or 'almost'. It sounded like Kai-chan was attempting to establish more communication based on varying pitches. She would have to ask Shino if he didn't heed her father's advice and exited her life just as quickly as he entered.

She was unhappy that she was back to that train of thought. Kai-chan resumed her soothing hum as Sachi's mood soured. She didn't want to think about that but hearing the familiar buzzing approaching the store, she knew she could no longer avoid it. Shino was outside, waiting to walk her home like any other day. She resigned herself to dealing with her problems and boldly walked out the door, not without her sour mood still firmly in place.

He knew instantly something was wrong. Her lack of a friendly greeting was more than enough evidence. That as well as the fact that she had begun walking home as if he wasn't even there. Given what had transpired yesterday it wasn't hard to piece together the reason for her cold demeanor. He fell into step beside her.

"You heard our conversation yesterday." It was not a question.

"Yes," she answered curtly, entirely unlike herself. Normally she would have said what she heard and most likely brushed it off the instant it was spoken but it was clear that what she heard had seriously bothered her. But if she had heard his response to her father she shouldn't be this upset, should she?

"How much did you hear?"

"Enough to know that we can only be friends because apparently, a little blind girl is a lost cause and not suitable to be a wife to anyone, let alone a clan heir." Her temper seethed out. She was undoubtedly hurt and rightly so.

"What was the last thing you heard?" His tone remained calm in the face of her ire. He never liked to respond without gathering all the information first.

"Something about how no clan wants the possibility of blindness in their gene pool."

"I don't believe I have strung you along with false hope as your father assumes."

"I don't know what you have been doing." Her words were bitter and self-depreciating. "Apparently us being friends is too close to dating and that's bad because I'm not good enough for you!"

She obviously did not think that way. If she had thought herself inferior anger would not be her response. Rather than outright stating that she was indeed worthy, the injustice of the situation sparked a self-disparaging streak, as if to give into what she believed others thought about her.

Her anger was truly palpable in the chakra she released around her. She wasn't controlling it properly as he had taught her and instead expended large amounts, causing his kikai to shift hungrily, wanting to consume her delicious chakra. He breathed deeply and forced the kikai to remain where they belonged. It was only thanks to his continual proximity to her that he and his kikai seemed to be getting used to her chakra.

Her chakra thickened and pulsed, no doubt like her blood as it pumped furiously through her veins. Kai-chan would not be silenced in her irritated buzzing. Echoing her mistress's emotions and seething at anyone that came too close to Sachi, including Shino.

"That is not the case. Your father is right in his view of the clans as they wish to bring strong blood into them. This isn't entirely what we do though. My clan rarely objects when an outsider willingly enters the clan through marriage. You and your father are incorrect in your assumption that you would not be suitable for the Aburame clan. Why? The way you attract all types of parasitic insects to you is a trait my clan would prize highly. You draw insects to you without training and the insects themselves take to you without hesitation." He glanced down to Kai-chan; a perfect example of his point. "The fact that the kikai you have possessed have considered you a home rather than just a meal is more than enough evidence to this. You would be more than just accepted into my clan. You would be highly coveted if they knew all these things about you."

"And me being blind?"

"You have told me it was developmental rather than genetic. It would be no obstacle."

"You say I am so desirable to your clan but why haven't you asked me to date you? Am I repulsive to you in my other qualities?"

"No," he stated steely.

"You make it seem like there is hardly a reason to say no to me being a part of your clan. Yet you make no steps in doing it." Her face turned to him in surprise at a sudden revelation. She suddenly felt embarrassingly full of herself for asking such an immodest and egotistical question. She let her chakra pass over him to gauge his reaction. "Do you just not think of me like that?"

"You have to ask? Visiting you, getting to know you, spending time with you, are not acceptable precursors to dating?"

"I thought," she paused as she considered. "I thought you did that mostly to train me so I wouldn't accidentally steal more insects."

"And all the times I walked you home before count for nothing?"

"Well, I suppose when you put it that way, of course, it matters." She hummed thoughtfully. "Either way, if you asked I would say yes."

"I'm glad the matter is settled."

She frowned in confusion. "Are we dating then?"

"I would say so."

"Well, I'm glad for that, too, but now we have to explain this to my father."

It was at that very moment they reached the steps to her home and they both walked in. Sachi was worried how her father would react. They hadn't settled yesterday's events yet and now she was clearly going against what he thought was best for her. Shino, on the other hand, walked in with a calm and resolute air; confident that he could handle this situation well.

"I'm home," she announced.

When they walked in a wave of heat hit them, unlike the warm summer air they just came from. A mixed scent of sweets permeated the air so thick that would curb even the most demanding sweet tooth. Noriko was first to greet them, covered in flour and standing before a modicum of mixing bowls and varieties of bakeware.

"Sachi-chan, Shino-kun, would you like some cookies?" She gestured to a counter full of a variety of cookies over the top of her current project.

"Your still baking, Kaachan? It's like an oven in here. How long have you been baking?"

Noriko quickly waved off her concerns. "Oh, not long. I just made a few cookies." The many containers filled with cookies made it clear it was more than just a few.

Sachi sniffed the air. "And a few pies," she trailed off expectantly.

"And just one cake," Noriko finished, waving a hand in the air as if it was nothing. "Care for a piece?"

Sachi turned her head to address Shino. "Kaachan gets into a baking frenzy every few months."

"Nothing is better than homemade sweets. But anyway," she redirected much like her daughter. "Sachi-chan, your father has a few things he wanted to say to you."

"Come and sit, both of you," Aoi requested.

They sat at the table with both men at either end while Sachi sat across from Kaito as he dug into a plate of sweets.

"Sachi-chan, I'm not sure what you heard last night but I never meant to upset you. I would never consider you not good enough for anything and I'm sorry you thought that I did. As your father, I have to make sure you get what is best for you, but you have to realize that I will never consider anyone good enough for you. You could marry a saint and I would still be there to breathe down his neck." Sachi let out a small huff of laughter. "I only did what I thought was best for you and to protect you before you get hurt."

"I know, Tousan."

"It's not easy for me to realize you aren't a little girl anymore. I may not like your decisions but I can't tell you what you can and can't do anymore." Though the words were sincere they were spoken with an obvious strain on Aoi.

"I'm really glad you feel that way, Tousan." Sachi didn't think there was any better time to break the news, though it felt more like testing the waters at this point. "Because Shino-kun and I are dating now."

Shino was the only one that had the benefit of observing the collective reaction to the news. Sachi herself had an expression halfway caught between a grimace at her worry and her joy at the announcement. Kaito blinked a few times but said nothing through his mouthful of cookies. Aoi stared at his daughter, aghast at the sudden turnaround. He had only just accepted that his daughter could make her own decisions. Now that he had to come face to face with her decision his brain needed processing time.

Noriko's reaction was expected. She shouted her happiness and enveloped her daughter in a floury hug, even as Sachi remained seated at the table.

Aoi recovered and let out a choked, "what?"

"That's so wonderful! You two make such a lovely couple. And you," Noriko turned to point at her husband, "not a word. You had your chance yesterday. You have to accept their decision."

He grumbled. "I said enough yesterday." He glared pointedly at Shino.

"Does this mean Shino-san will be coming over a lot more?" Kaito asked his mother.

Noriko smiled at Shino. "You are welcome here anytime."

"Thank you," he returned politely.

* * *

Please let me know what you think. I'm sorry to say that most of this story not checked by a beta. I had one for the first few chapters but then they stopped responding to me and I was forced to continue alone.


	13. Chapter 13

I'm delighted that everyone is responding well to this story. Thank you all so much!

For those of you that have reviewed, I've PMd several of you.

* * *

Chapter 13

On the verge

"Sachi-chan," Noriko singsonged cheerfully as her daughter descended the stairs. "Would you take these cookies to Shino-kun? I've made too many and we will never go through them before they go bad."

It was because of that request that Sachi found herself at the gate to the Aburame compound that morning. She had been cleared to enter by the abnormally brusque guard and made her way to the first fork in the road.

"Which way was it?" she mused aloud. "Right, right, left? Or was it left, left, right?" She hadn't had to take this route in a while and found she couldn't rightly remember how to navigate within the compound. "Kai-chan do you know the way?"

The little insect upon her forehead crawled to the right.

With directions from Kai-chan she made it to Shino's house easily. She didn't exactly know how Kai-chan knew the way to Shino's house. Perhaps she remembered the way from the short time in Shino's care. She shuffled the box in her hands and knocked. Shino's mother, Youko, was the one to open the door and greet her.

"Sachi-san, it's nice of you to stop by again."

"Hello, Youko-san, is Shino-kun home?"

"I'm afraid he was called out on a mission. Would you like to come in for tea? Shino-kun told me you two are dating and I would like the opportunity to get to know you better."

"Of course," Sachi said, stepping inside at her invitation, but not without a weight in her belly, brought on by nerves. "Oh, these are for you," she held out the box in her hands. "My mother baked a bit too much yesterday. She's got enough baked goods to fill every corner of the house and then some and that's really not an exaggeration."

"Thank you," she said taking the box. "Have a seat at the table. I'll bring the tea."

Sachi sat as commanded and removed her sunglasses upon remembering the rule in the Aburame household.

The tinkling of dishes sounded on the table just as Shino's mother joined her at the table.

"Why don't you tell me a bit about yourself?" Youko requested, pouring tea for her guest.

Sachi took a deep breath and let out the words, "there's not much to tell." She sipped her scalding hot tea, biding her time. "I like music and books. I work at a bookstore. I have a little brother. I'm not sure what to say."

"How is your training going with Shino?"

"It's going really well. He mainly taught me the concept and I just practice it constantly. I don't even use my cane around town anymore. Actually, I haven't for weeks. It's liberating."

"I'm glad to hear it."

"You have a lovely home by the way," Sachi said, remembering her manners. "I like being here. The sound of the insects around here is wonderful. But it's a lot quieter than before."

"Maybe it's because Shino and Shibi are away," Youko said.

"Probably. It must have been a sudden mission. Just yesterday he said he would see me today. When will he be back?"

She hummed thoughtfully. "There's no telling. It could be in a few days or a few weeks."

"Weeks?" Sachi squeaked, startled.

"That's the life of a shinobi and the life of those they leave behind." Sachi had the feeling that she was saying this almost as a warning, like a message of 'this is what you're getting into with Shino'.

"So you just stay here just waiting for them to come back?"

"Yes. I used to be a shinobi. I retired when I was pregnant with Shino. Now I wait for my boys to come home."

"I guess I just don't understand because no one in my family is a shinobi."

"It's a lifestyle you have to get used to. It doesn't come naturally to everyone."

Sachi heard the approach of an insect user.

"So, if Shino-kun won't be home for a while, are you expecting Shibi-san home soon?"

"I was told either today or tomorrow. Why?"

"He's about to walk in the door." Just as she said, the door opened to reveal Shibi just a few seconds later.

The woman smiled at her husband. "Hello dear. How was your mission?"

"Tedious but short. It's a pleasant surprise to see you Sachi-san."

"Sachi-san was just dropping off some cookies. Shino left on a mission this morning so I invited her in for tea. As of yesterday Sachi-san and Shino are dating."

Shibi paused for a long time as he stared at Sachi. He was all too aware that the insect she carried was different, and what was even more surprising, it was a female.

"So I see," he said cryptically. "I'm surprised but I approve. I'll leave you ladies to your tea."

The rest of Sachi's time with Shino's mother was pleasant enough. They had talked more on Sachi's preferences of music and other pastimes as Youko listened well, asking leading questions and providing short comments.

They parted with a promise that Sachi would thank her mother for the cookies and Youko would have Shino stop by after he returned to the village.

XXXXXXXXXX

Shibi hardly wanted to process the information at hand. Shino had not only given Sachi another kikai but he had given her a female kikai. Shibi knew his son was not stupid enough to do so without thinking of the implications. But he did not think Sachi knew the true meaning of the gift she had received.

The gatekeeper must have noticed the female kikai's presence on Sachi. It was almost impossible for an Aburame not to notice. No doubt the gatekeeper would notify the elders and there would be an inquiry. Either they would call their relationship into question or they would claim Shino as a traitor spilling clan secrets to outsiders. Given the fact that the insect was female it was likely the former.

Shibi knew something would be happening soon and he would be one of the first to be notified as he was the clan head as well as Shino's father. And with Shino gone, Shibi was sure he would have to be the one to pacify the council.

He sighed. This would be a tiresome event.

* * *

I know some of you are disappointed. But I have my reasons which will be revealed in time.


	14. Chapter 14

I needed more interaction between Sachi and Shibi.

* * *

Chapter 14

If it's not one thing it's another

It was the day following Sachi's excursion to the Aburame compound that her life was destined to get much more complicated.

As was typical of the end of Sachi's shifts at the bookstore, she heard the buzzing of an insect user waiting outside. She smiled to herself and hurried out the door. When the person turned to her she passed her chakra over them and was surprised to find it was not Shino as she had expected but Shibi. She frowned.

"I wasn't expecting you to be here, Shibi-san."

"Apologies for the disappointment," his gruff voice answered.

She winced. "I didn't mean to be rude. I just didn't think you would be here. Is Shino-kun back then?"

"No, he won't be back for at least a few days. I'm sure he regrets not being able to tell you himself."

"That's fine. I'm sure he would have if he had the time. Did you need something then? You seemed like you were waiting for me."

"Yes, I was. I was hoping you would let me treat you to a meal. We have matters to discuss."

"Uh, sure, I guess. Lead the way then." She fell into step next to him as he began their trek. "So, what matters do you mean?"

"What did Shino tell you about that insect when he gave it to you? I know it is not the same Kai-san as before."

Sachi didn't question his knowledge. Either Shino had told him or since he was most likely out of the village for the duration of Kai-chan's hatching process, he probably was perceptive enough to pick up on the differences.

"He said a female kikai can live up to a year and I have to work harder to keep other insects from following Kai-chan."

Shibi sighed in exasperation, a quiet action that only Sachi seemed to pick up on as her chakra passed over him in curious worry.

"It seems he neglected to tell you that giving a female kikai to an outsider is an old form of a marriage proposal."

Sachi stopped dead in the street. Shibi had to pivot slightly to regard her as embarrassment colored her face.

"What? No, no, no, no, no! No!" she rushed out. "We're not- I just- I only just met Shino-kun a few weeks ago," she continued bashfully. "I didn't agree to marry him. We just started dating two days ago. He's great and all and I really like him but that's too soon!"

"I understand. You do not need to worry. It hasn't been an official practice since the time of the first Hokage. It has long since been a thing of the past. But that is what we need to talk about."

She caught up with him as they entered into a restaurant.

"The elders of our clan have been made aware of your relationship with Shino as well as both the kikai you have possessed. While it may not be the marriage proposal it used to be it still implies a serious relationship. It is not something to be done frivolously. Neither is it something done for good friends. It speaks of a bond beyond friendship and unwavering trust, something I believe to be an apt description of your relationship."

"I guess so. But how did the council know about the kikai? I haven't been telling anyone."

"Each time you passed into the gates of the Aburame compound you have met with a gate guard, yes?"

"Oh, you really can't get anything past an Aburame can you?" she asked.

Shibi's lips twitched in amusement.

"The council has a few problems with this. They only know of you through what they have heard from the gate guard, Shino and myself. They consider any positive qualities they hear to be either entirely false or embellishment. And the facts that you are both blind and a civilian do not please them as they assume Shino has already made his decision to bring you into our clan. This is the first issue. They believe you to be of undesirable lineage to bring into the clan." Sachi scowled at this but let Shibi continue. "Initially they were willing to overlook your possession of the male kikai due to its short lifespan and lack of profound meaning if it had been a gift. Now that you possess a female they believe Shino is going behind their backs possibly to elope with you against the council's will.

"Of course I believe none of the accusations towards Shino or you. And such accusations, unfortunately, do not end there. There have been accusations of you stealing clan secrets and Shino to be a traitor. Thier ultimate aim is to discredit you as a potential partner for Shino and thereby have the right to take the insect from you."

Sachi let out an undignified squeak. "They want to take Kai-chan?"

"Yes. You may not be aware but clans take significant steps to keep their secrets within the clan. Hence the reason Shino is in hot water over this. They don't wish to charge the clan heir of treason, especially without justification and evidence. We are already so few in number there is no one more suitable to take up the mantle if Shino were renounced as clan heir. Which is why they wish to put all the blame on you."

Sachi felt the all-too-familiar burning in her chest when others considered her less than normal or worthy because of her eyes.

"I know my son. He would not have entrusted you with another insect or let you keep the first if he didn't trust you to keep our secrets."

"So, they are saying we can't be together because I am not worthy of a clan heir?" she bit out harshly. "Why? Because I am a civilian or because I am blind? And what's all that about Shino-kun maybe being renounced as the clan heir?"

"They do not wish you to be together for both reasons you have indicated. There is no evidence of your genetic line bearing strong shinobi, which is something expected of a clan heir's spouse. In addition to the fact that you are blind and they do not wish that trait to be passed down into our clan. As for your last question, when Shino becomes the clan head he will be expected to produce a viable heir to enter the shinobi profession and carry on our traditions and secret as all his predecessors have. Shino comes from a long line of shinobi with strong blood. If his children prove to be inadequate to take up the mantle expected of clan heirs he will be discredited and they will have to search the clan for a member strong enough to be the next heir."

"For one thing," she began, irritation bleeding into her tone, "there is no evidence that my family cannot provide good shinobi. And for another, my blindness isn't a genetic trait. It's specific to me. So you can tell those stuffy old elders to keep their opinions to themselves and shut up about things they do not know about! If they don't want us together then why not just say so?" She finished with a haughty huff.

"Your anger is misdirected at me. It is the Aburame elders that share these viewpoints, not myself. I told you yesterday I approve of you."

Her anger melted away at once as she recalled his words to be true. He had said as much just yesterday. "You do?" she asked for clarity.

"Yes. The elders have not had the opportunity to meet you. They have not seen a first-hand account of how powerfully attractive your chakra is to the kikai. That trait alone is desirable enough to wave any question of your genetic line. It is one of the reasons it became a practice to gift a kikai to an outsider upon a marriage proposal. If the kikai accepted the new host it was clear they would be genetically compatible."

"So, is it safe to assume that when Kai-san abandoned Shino-kun for me that he claimed me at least acceptable?" she asked curiously.

"In the rare cases like yours, where a kikai chooses you rather than simply accepts you, it becomes clear your genetics are golden when combined with that of an insect user. The council would be fools to try to discourage you from entering our clan.

"As for forbidding you and Shino to travel down the tentative path you have chosen for yourselves, the council has no official authority over marriages of clan members. You two could very well marry and the council would have to accept it. But as there has been no official engagement the council wishes to interfere before anything more serious can come of your relationship."

"Wait, wait. Let me get this straight. They think Shino-kun and I are engaged and because we aren't they will want to kill Kai-chan? But because they think we are engaged they want to be as bothersome as possible to scare me off?"

"In summary, yes. I have asked them for their patience, to wait until Shino returns to the village but they denied my request. No doubt Shino had a plan that would have made this go over much smoother but without him and time to plan we will have to do our best without him."

"You're going to help me?"

"Yes. I'm sure it's what Shino would do if he were here. Without him, I will take up the responsibility."

"So when is this happening? And what exactly is going to happen?"

"They have requested your presence tomorrow morning. They wish to convince everyone that you are unfit to be the mother of future clan heirs as well as confirm that you are not already formally engaged. If they are successful they will forcibly remove your kikai and terminate her."

"So what do we do to try to convince them otherwise?"

"We must impress upon them your willingness to be with Shino in a romantic sense. That as well as prove your genetic compatibility with the Aburame. They will no doubt argue every point and undermine you at every opportunity."

"You mean they are just going to humiliate me and insult me the whole time?"

"Essentially. Which is why we must prepare ourselves for what may come tomorrow."

* * *

I know some of you will be upset that Shino isn't going to be the one to help Sachi through this. But the council realized Shino probably had a plan and jumped at the chance to catch them off guard. I also felt it was very important to have more interaction between Sachi and Shibi. So I hope you won't hate me for Sending Shino away for a chapter or two.


	15. Chapter 15

Thanks to all who have been reviewing. You have no idea how happy it makes me to read your riviting reviews.

* * *

Chapter 15

Feeding frenzy

Sachi walked with determination to the Aburame gates the next morning. She dressed herself to be presentable and she was confident that today would go well. She had to have things go well because Kai-chan's life was on the line which also meant a great amount of her independence.

Sachi was also fighting for the right to continue dating Shino without persecution to either of them. If the council approved of her then there would be no talk of Shino betraying his clan. Too much was on the line for her to screw this up. Shibi was confident that they could convince the council to rule in her favor.

Shibi met her at the gate, where she was permitted entry without a word.

"Are you prepared?" he asked as he led her to their meeting.

"I think so."

"Good. Remain confident and calm. Stick to the points we have discussed and remain respectful to the elders despite what they may say about you."

They made their way to the meeting in a large conference hall with a single long table already surrounded by Aburame clan members. It seemed they were the last to arrive, despite being several minutes early to the meeting time. She followed Shibi to the center of the table where she was permitted to sit beside her boyfriend's father.

An unfamiliar voice spoke up with a scathing tone. "Did you have trouble getting here Hara-san? We hadn't expected you to be so late."

That was why they were the last to arrive. They had planned for it as a preemptive insult. Sachi knew a blind insult when she heard it. No doubt this was the first of many attempts to embarrass and discredit her.

"Perhaps you should not have arrived before the appointed time If you did not wish to wait for the meeting to start, Aburame-sama," she bit out her words with a hard edge, cleverly hiding most of her irritation to sound almost tactful. It came out slightly more teasing than she intended.

"We are here to call into question the giving, receiving, accepting and possessing of the female kikai currently hosted by one Sachi Hara." This was said from a neutral, almost bored tone of a second Aburame somewhere to her left. "Hara-san, would you state the nature of your relationship to the Aburame clan heir, Shino?" the bored Aburame requested.

"We have been dating for four days," she stated loudly and clearly.

"You are not engaged?" Bored asked for clarification.

"No," she said.

"Please tell us how you came into possession of a female kikai," Bored intoned.

"It was a gift from Shino-kun to replace the male kikai before it."

"And how exactly did you come into possession of a male kikai?" This was said by the first Aburame to speak, the scathing one.

"It chose me as it's host," Sachi said confidently.

Several whispers erupted around the table, overlapping to the point Sachi couldn't pick out individual words. But from what Shibi had said she guessed they were either surprised at the rarity of the event or disbelieving of its truth.

"And yet," Scathing Aburame continued, "the insect remained in the hands of an outsider. A grievous action if there ever was one."

"It did not remain out of neglect on anyone's part," Shibi added. "I, myself, was the first to make the attempt at ordering the male kikai to return upon Hara-san's request. She speaks the truth. It chose her and it refused to leave its new host. The only alternative would have been to kill it and we could hardly call ourselves insect masters if we would so easily kill one of our own for listening to its instincts."

"The insect would not have acted so if it were well controlled." Scathing's tone turned haughty and arrogant. "It appears our clan heir needs to keep a tighter grip on his hive."

"I'm afraid I must disagree with you," Shibi responded. "It is no fault of my son's that an insect was lead astray. Hara-san has a peculiar quality that makes her attractive to all insects especially parasitic ones such as the kikai. She is simply irresistible to them."

"You make these claims but my insects have not stirred since she ambled in. If this is truly the case then everyone here would know it." It was not a surprise that Scathing Aburame argued this point.

"You may thank my son for that," Shibi answered. "After the incident with the male kikai. He taught her to repress her chakra to be less noticeable to the kikai."

"I can provide proof if you need it, Aburame-sama," Sachi said more to Scathing than any other. "If you would like I could stop repressing my chakra to show you the effect I had on Shino-kun before he helped me to hide it."

A third council member spoke up. "Hara-san, I believe we should accept that offer to truly understand and confirm your effect on the kikai. You may proceed when you are ready."

Shibi was the only one of the group that had prior knowledge of how to handle the kikai around Sachi. Before the meeting, he had fed his kikai and kept them contained with the force of his will.

She sighed and relinquished her hold on her chakra, letting it roll out uncontrolled as it used to. The effect was slow but held no shortage of unintended response.

The combined sound of every kikai in the room buzzing its desire for chakra engulfed all other ambient sounds. Every one of the elders was within the range of the woman in the middle of the table and therefore each insect had an overpowering urge to feed upon the new and exotic chakra. The typically gentle buzzing of the Aburame hives suddenly roared to life as their hosts desperately tried to call the insects back as they exited their host without a care for orders. It was like a stampede of destitute, starving men to a delicious five star all you can eat buffet.

"Enough!" Scathing shouted.

Sachi quickly reigned in her chakra and repressed it to the fullest extent that she was capable. She had wanted to make a point, not draw any more insects to her.

"Quite interesting," intoned the third council member, the one that had requested her display. "I believe that is quite enough proof. There can be no doubt that the male's actions were a result of Hara-san's... qualities and not from a lack of effort from its former host."

"But how would this girl have done so and why?" Once again Scathing chose to argue against her case.

"It has been established that it was an unconscious call," the third council member weighed in again. "Civilians are not known to possess knowledge of repressing their chakra. It is only thanks to her newly learned talents from our young heir that she is not hounded by hordes of kikai." Sachi was really beginning to take a liking to the calm and polite voice of the third Aburame.

"But why would an outsider keep it if not for nefarious purposes?" Sachi bit back a scoff as Scathing continued his questioning.

"A fair question," the polite and reasonable voice responded. "Hara-san," he began, "why did you keep the male and why would you accept a female kikai?"

"I kept the first because the only alternative was to kill it. But I didn't want that to happen. I got attached to it and accepted the female kikai when the other died." She paused and when no one spoke she continued. "I like them. They are helpful."

"How do they help you?" Bored inquired, injecting himself into the conversation for the first time in several minutes.

"Well, I'm blind so-" Sachi began only to be interrupted.

"Blind!" It came to no surprise that Scathing interrupted in indignancy. "And yet some would have us accept this blind child into the Aburame clan as the clan heir's fiancee. Some would argue in favor of diluting our strong blood with the common ilk and risk blind heirs being born to this strong clan."

Sachi literally bit her tongue for the duration of his comments. The one thing she hated beyond all others was being told she wasn't good enough especially because she was blind.

In spite of her inner turmoil, she was proud of the calm tone of her voice as she continued to address the council with the respect that only a few of them deserved.

"My blindness is not genetic. No children of mine will be blind. And as you have brought it up again I have to remind you that we have not been together long enough to use the word 'engaged'."

With a few hums, they seemed to recognize that argument as pointless and pushed it from their minds. She respected the way they were so practical. She was sure they wouldn't talk that matter to death now that it had been agreed upon.

"The fact still remains that you are in possession of a kikai." This came from her left side again, from the reasonable man Sachi was considering more on the side of law and fairness rather than her own side or unreasonable, Scathing Aburame council member number one. "Outsiders are not permitted to remain as hosts. The male can be overlooked due to it's short time with you and the nature of which it came into your possession; being accidental and of its own free will. But this second insect is a new argument altogether. Are you aware of the custom of an Aburame member gifting an outsider a female kikai as a marriage proposal?"

"Yes, Shibi-san explained it."

"Then you can see our predicament. As this kikai was not a part of a marriage proposal we would normally stick to our laws and remove the kikai from you." Sachi gulped nervously. "However," Reasonable continued, "it cannot be denied that the quality of your chakra is one that is sorely coveted. While your relationship with the clan heir, Shino, is a new one I believe it would be foolish to discourage either of you. You have given us no reason to deter your relationship and you have provided more than adequate reasons why we should encourage such a powerful union between a clan heir and his chosen."

Sachi found that phrasing strange. 'Chosen' probably meant the one the kikai chose. But in her mind, it sounded almost like 'destined' the way he said it.

"Would you answer my previous question? How do the kikai help you?" Reasonable asked again.

"I am blind." She paused expecting another interruption. She heard a decidedly uncomfortable rustling from Scathing's direction. She continued, "the kikai have helped me to get around. They see things for me. I walk around town like everyone else. I no longer need a cane because they can tell me if something is in my way."

"How exactly do they tell you?" The once bored tone of the second Aburame was suddenly interested.

"They understand when I talk to them and they communicate with me by a short code of noises."

This seemed to interest them slightly. Some hummed lightly in different tones she couldn't identify with all of them there. She would have to ask Shibi later.

Shibi spoke up. "I remind the council of our declining numbers. It has been long since the infusion of the kikai has been easy. It has been longer still since new blood has willingly entered the clan without an arranged marriage. There can be no denying that Hara-san would mix well within our clan. I see no reason to deny her or refuse the opportunity of a union if my son and Hara-san decide to marry."

Reasonable Aburame hummed in agreement. "I agree with Shibi-san. The infusion is harder on our children with every passing year. Any child of Shino-sama and Hara-san would easily be able to accept the kikai."

Positive murmurs sounded around the table.

"If we are in agreement?" Reasonable questioned. An unhappy huff came from the direction of the scathing Aburame elder while the rest either nodded or made a sound of agreement. "Then their relationship stands and the female insect may remain with Hara-san."

"On one condition." Sachi's heart had just begun to soar only for it to sink like a burst balloon as Scathing Aburame interrupted yet again. "She will not be given another insect without an official engagement or marriage into our clan."

Sachi wanted to smack her head on the table and refrained only through sheer willpower. When were people going to stop mentioning marrying her boyfriend of only 4 days?

"That is fair," Reasonable said. "Hara-san and Shino-sama have until the female insect dies to make an official announcement of their union or else this will be the last insect Hara-san may keep."

Sachi bit her tongue again knowing this was, unfortunately, as good as it could get. They had achieved all their goals, keep treasonous accusations away from Shino, allow her to keep Kai-chan and keep the council from whining about Shino's relationship to a blind civilian girl.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Everyone was dismissed at the end of the meeting and Shibi politely offered to walk her to the gate of the compound.

"The less I hear about this marriage stuff the better. It's creepy to talk about marrying someone I've only been dating for less than a week."

"What we must take away from this is that Shino is not suspected of treason. Your acceptance overruled that argument entirely."

"Well that's great for Shino-kun," she bit out contemptuously, something she felt bad for after it was said. It was a great thing that Shino would not be considered a traitor and saying it with such contempt made it seem sarcastic and insincere. "But he's been gone for this whole thing. Once he hears that the council is all for us making babies he'll probably run in the other direction and never see me again." She groaned.

Shibi let out a breath that might have been confused with a huff of amusement. She didn't know the clan head well enough to decipher his subtle sounds.

"He isn't one to run away. The events will come as a shock and I expect he will think on them before returning to you with a solid conclusion."

Sachi's nerves showed in her voice. "A solid conclusion like what? A marriage proposal?" she questioned in a higher pitch than normal.

"Not quite. He's not one to rush things. My guess is he will want to see where things go in a years time."

"You think so?"

"I would say I know my son well."

"I wanted to ask you a few things about the meeting." He only hummed at her pause, waiting for said questions to respond fully. "That word they used-chosen- that means the people the kikai choose like Kai-san chose me right?"

"Yes."

"Does that imply any... obligation from the original host of the kikai? Or from the chosen?"

"No. You and Shino are under no obligations to each other in any way. It only indicates that the original and new hosts are compatible genetically speaking."

"Alright. I guess that makes sense. Why were they interested in how I communicate with the insects?"

"We Aburame can communicate with the kikai and most other insects nearly as well as we do with fellow humans. If you had proven to be able to communicate with them as well as us then that would be even more proof that you belong within our clan. It is a natural ability that comes with an affinity for insects, such as all insect users, that is honed through time and connection with the insects we house."

"Do you think that's possible for me to learn? It would be easier to communicate with Kai-chan if I could understand her."

Shibi thought for several long moments. "If it is possible for you, one not born of a clan of insect users, it may take years with a close connection to the kikai you possess before they may be able to communicate with clear words to you. That is if you do possess an affinity with the insects such as we do. "

They had reached the gate upon Shibi's explanation.

"Thank you for all your help, Shibi-san," she said with a short bow.

"It was my duty to my son as much as my future daughter-in-law."

"Shibi-san, stop!" she whined.

He let out a short breath of amusement as she groaned loudly in frustration. This girl was a breath of fresh air to such a clan as his. While both parties were generally to the point, the quality of her positive attitude and surprisingly fiery irritation was something new and exciting.

"Please do me a favor, Shibi-san. When you see Shino-kun fill him in on all that he missed and tell him we need to talk."

"I will inform him of all that has occurred in his absence."

She stalked away after their goodbyes.

Even the menacing way she indicated the trouble that Shino was in could not deter Shibi's current amusement. Not for the first time, Shibi could see a glimmer of what Shino must see in the young woman. Even in her irritation, she seemed like a cat with its fur on end, failing at looking menacing and more accurately looking adorable as she flounced off.

Shibi definitely approved of his son's choice.

* * *

Shino will be back next chapter. How do you think he is going to react to all this news? How do you think Sachi will react when she sees Shino return from his mission?


	16. Chapter 16

It's a good thing this story is completely finished. Life is catching up to me.

* * *

Chapter 16

Cross your fingers

Shino sat at the table where his father explained the events of the days he missed. He did not expect the council to act so quickly. If Sachi hadn't come to his home the day he left they wouldn't have known and he would have had some time to explain himself before they confronted the issue on their own.

He had wished to keep her out of the unnecessary dramas but she had been dragged in all the same. That was his only regret in this situation, that Sachi had to take the brunt of the anger from the elders. That was not what he wanted but when a mission came up he couldn't say no.

His father left him to his thoughts, which he was grateful for. He needed time to process all that had happened and what he was to do.

He was slowly coming to accept that the outcome was probably the best they could have hoped for in such a situation.

He had planned to inform the council of the female insect he had given to her and all the connotations that went with it. And knowing how they would respond he wanted to convince them not to interfere with their budding relationship. He knew their cold, bureaucratic hearts would not be swayed by speeches of possible lost love and so he had carefully lined out the benefits of having Sachi as a part of their clan, to convince them to leave them well enough alone.

It might have been a good, successful plan if it had been given the opportunity. But it's time was long overdue.

At least this way they were willing to set clear guidelines for their relationship and step back and let it take its course which was, more or less, the outcome he had hoped for.

He had at least come to terms with the facts. And now he had to decide what he wanted to do about this situation.

He wanted to continue to date Sachi. He sincerely hoped she still wanted to date him. But his father's message from her: 'we need to talk' did not bode well.

Shino knew what he wanted and he needed to know what Sachi wanted before they decided on a course of action. Though, whatever she wanted, she deserved an apology from him.

His actions had imposed quite a lot of unwanted stress, attention, and obligations unto Sachi. And that was perhaps the largest issue of them all.

The problem with his clan was still in the way, it felt as if it was hanging over his head. A council of stuffy elders breathing down his neck about marrying the girl he had only just started dating. They expected them to be at least engaged in a years time. And what was even more troubling, an engagement was the condition upon Shino freely replacing Kai-chan when she died. He knew she found life with a "seeing-eye bug" to be in her favor. Without it, she felt confined and restrained. If Sachi didn't want to marry him she would have to give up her beloved insects. And Shino did not want her to feel an obligation to marry him so she would have access to more insect replacements.

If it were up to Shino he would see where the year took them. If the connection he already felt between them grew and flourished with time he had no doubt he would enjoy being bonded to such a woman.

The first thing he wanted to do was apologize. He knew she would be upset and the longer he delayed it the more hurt she would be by his absence.

He checked the time. At the late afternoon hour, she would most likely be home after working at the bookstore. As he approached her home his kikai buzzed gently in anticipation. They seemed to have taken a greater liking for being near Sachi and her chakra. The knowledge that they were nearing her excited them. He was several steps away from the door when it was wrenched open to allow a very irritated Sachi through to the street.

No doubt she heard the kikai as he approached and knew he was coming. She stalked down the front steps, her face pinkened in her ire and her stormy gray eyes hardened in his direction.

Shino blinked his own eyes in surprise and halted where he stood. She had always kept her eyes hidden beneath her sunglasses. He had only a few seconds to reflect on this before she was upon him.

"Aburame Shino! You didn't think it was important enough to tell me that giving me a female kikai was some ancient marriage proposal that still holds some credibility today even when I asked you the difference between having a female kikai as opposed to a male one?" All of this was said in a rush of a single breath as she questioned all of the implications and his reasoning for all he had done.

She did not stop to let him speak."I don't even believe you! You just did all that without letting me know the consequences? And then you were just gone when your whole clan is freaking out over the clan heir potentially being engaged to a common blind girl like me? Do you even understand how embarrassing it is to have people commenting on our life together when we have only been dating for days? We haven't even gone on a date yet and they are talking about us having kids and getting married and all that!"

She paused to replenish the air in her lungs and he took his chance to speak, his tone deep and regretful. He had carefully chosen his words on his walk over. But in the face of her ire, he was left feeling unprepared.

"I'm truly sorry for what my actions have put you through. It was never my intention to force you into such an embarrassing situation." It wrenched at her heart to hear his implication that he thought her embarrassed to be with him rather than her embarrassment felt by the pressures of what everyone wanted from them. "If you never wish to see me again I would understand. But I would always regret losing a woman as wonderful as you. If you will allow me I would like to make it up to you."

Her lips hung apart as her irritation all but completely dissolved. His calm and resolute voice made her sorry for raising her own and the hurt she sensed from him made her regret her strong approach. She sighed.

"I don't want to lose you either. I'm sorry for yelling at you like that."

"You have every right to be upset. I knew the consequences of giving you a female kikai and I planned to take care of the elders myself to avoid what happened in my absence. I'm sorry for all they have done to you."

"Why didn't you just tell me in the first place?" Sachi inquired.

"I knew how much the kikai meant to you." How exactly could he tell her he didn't want to scare her off with intentionally giving her such a meaningful gift? He would have had to explain all that it meant and hope she stuck around long enough to know he wasn't trying to move their relationship as fast as it seemed. Likely that explanation would have been akin to digging himself deeper and deeper into a hole until there was no way out. "I would have handled it without involving you to such an extent. My father informed me of everything that happened. I knew they would approve of you."

"So..." she trailed off sheepishly, "what do we do in a year?"

"I would prefer to think of what we do now. Our decision is our own in a years time. As for now, I would like the chance to explore what we are and not dwell on what will be. I hope you can agree."

She huffed out a breath and her expression hardened again slightly.

"First of all, don't think that 'I'm sorry, I didn't mean it' speech will get you off so easily. This is a big thing! A very big, big thing. And I expect you to make it up to me. And I would really like to keep dating you Shino-kun. I really like you. I've never had a boyfriend before."

"Nor I a girlfriend. I understand."

Her lips split into an innocent and bright smile. For the first time, he could see her smile extend to her eyes. They crinkled on the edges of her unseeing gaze as she beamed up at him.

"I like your eyes."

Her smile disappeared with a gasp and her eyes snapped shut tightly. In her haste to confront him, she hadn't thought to retrieve her sunglasses. Shino hadn't said a word about them until now. Was it really possible they didn't bother him? Not only that, but did he really like them? His words took a moment to sink in.

"You do? Really?" she asked disbelievingly. She let her eyelids flutter open hesitantly.

"Yes. Why do you hide them?"

"People think they're creepy." He knew that word all too well. "I didn't use to wear my sunglasses all the time. Kaachan wanted me to be comfortable with who I am. But I always overheard what people said about them. Someone said they look dead and bothersome. After that I never let anyone see my eyes. It took a couple months for me to stop wearing them around my family. You really don't think they're..." she paused, trying to find the right word.

"They're beautiful." Normally he would not have embellished his views to such an extent. His words were not untrue, simply more unrestrained than he usually preferred.

He was rewarded with a shy smile that was amplified by the blush coloring her cheeks, which only served to make her eyes stand out more among the darkening skin around it.

He found himself with a prominent desire to embellish his words more in the future.

"Thank you." She sighed heavily. "I still haven't told my parents about all this clan business. I'm kind of afraid of what they will say. I would have explained it to them before but I thought it would be best to wait till you came back. If you didn't want to see me anymore I didn't see the point in telling them when it wouldn't matter. So, if you would like to start making it up to me, now might be better than later to do it."

Shino let out a short sigh, much like Sachi had done. They could probably expect approval from Noriko. As for Aoi, he was sure to react negatively.

Even so, Shino agreed and he followed her inside.

Sachi had taken the forefront of leading the conversation over all the details of the days he missed as well as the council's conclusion. She had to explain that the original insect she had possessed had been replaced and the difference between the two.

Shino went on to provide his perspective on the situation. He explained his clan's desire to count them among their ranks and emphasized his desire to continue to date Sachi as well as explain he would respect any decision she made as far as it concerned him.

Both of Sachi's parents remained uncharacteristically quiet. Noriko listened to all the facts with an impassive look, whereas her husband seemed to take every word as fuel for his building anger. He sat in his chair doing a remarkable impression of a teapot that was nearly ready to whistle.

Sachi, in her optimistic tendencies, thought her father would be relieved that she wouldn't be another girl abandoned by a clan heir after a hot minute, as he had previously assumed. If this had brought him any peace he had not shown it. The dichotomy of an engagement or no replacement for Sachi's beloved insect was the tipping point for the redheaded man that was quickly turning the same shade as his hair.

"You mean to tell me that you knew what would happen if you gave her this bug and you just went and did it anyway?" Aoi pointed an accusatory finger at Shino. "You knew you would be putting Sachi right in the light of your clan's council and purposely put her between a rock and a hard place by making her dependent on these bugs and you? You have been planning this from the beginning, haven't you? You mentioned before how desirable Sachi is to you and your clan and you planned all this to force her into this." Aoi had stood from the table, shoving the chair back with a scrape of wood on wood, and placed his hands upon the surface. "You may say it's her decision but when you give her such undesirable choices she only has the lesser of two evils to choose!"

Aoi stopped his tirade when his wife's hand gripped his forearm. He seemed to remember himself and sat back in his chair roughly, breathing deeply to abate a large amount of his anger.

The calm Noriko took a large breath with her eyes closed as if she was trying to settle her own feelings before she spoke. When her eyes opened again she stared at Shino with a penetrating gaze as if she was looking right through him.

It was not unlike the feeling of being examined by one that held the byakugan. She studied him as if looking for something specific and yet at the same time it seemed she was studying his every move. In this moment it was not hard to see the connection between mother and daughter. While their methods of gathering information were different, both had a way to see through a person to their heart. When she spoke her voice remained reasonable and calm, quite unlike her usual flamboyance.

"He does have a point," she agreed with her husband. "You knew the ramifications of what you did. And like it or not the elders of your clan will not easily give up on having Sachi join your clan. You have indeed put her between a rock and a hard place. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"It was never my intention to bring such trouble onto Sachi-chan. My reasons have never been anything malicious. I came here today with the intention of apologizing to Sachi-chan with the full expectation of being let down. Had that been the case I would have respected her decision. Any decision she will make in the future will be of her own free will and I will continue to respect whatever she decides."

"I want to be with Shino-kun," Sachi interjected. "He just made a mistake, but I'm sure he will make up for it. And all of this is my decision anyway. I am not so dependent on the kikai that I would choose to marry Shino-kun just for them." Her face turned to a slightly disgusted wince. "Do any of you think I would really be that shallow?"

This made Aoi scowl. He hadn't meant to imply such a thing. He had never been good with his words. Recently, it seemed every time he dealt with these two he always ended up sticking his foot in his mouth. Twice now he had said something with the intent to defend his daughter and only ended up insulting her both times.

He was only trying to protect Sachi as any father would protect their daughter. He didn't want to see her get hurt and it seemed no matter how hard he tried she was doing everything he warned her against. Teenagers!

Shino felt a twinge of shame within himself. Just earlier he had assumed she may consider marrying him for the sole purpose of always having kikai for her personal use. But now that she was the one to call it to attention he knew she would never do such a thing. He suddenly felt guilty to impose such assumptions onto her personal character.

"I suppose I have a few questions then," Noriko stated with confidence, her penetrating gaze never leaving Shino's form. "Can you honestly tell me that you only ever had and will have the best of intentions where Sachi-chan is concerned?"

Shino thought it was a crying shame that Noriko had never pursued a career in interrogation. Shino could tell the woman could see every facet of his being and could smell a lie a mile away. It was lucky for him he had no intention of lying.

"That is correct."

"And if it just so happens that you do not get what you want out of your relationship you will not force or coerce Sachi-chan into changing her mind, be this concerning marriage or anything else?"

"Sachi-chan's decisions will be her own. She may choose whatever she desires," he stated, looking Noriko in the eye behind his sunglasses.

"If you don't decide to get married what will your clan do?"

"There will be nothing they can do to Sachi-chan. They have no authority or control over her."

Her eyes stared into his for another moment before she nodded and turned her attention to Sachi.

"Sachi-chan, I take it you have forgiven him and you want to see where your relationship goes?"

"Yes," Sachi said confidently, very much accustomed to her astute mother. Noriko nodded in finality.

"In that case, I trust you both. You are both adults. You can make decisions for yourselves."

Aoi gave a grunt, possibly in affirmation. He was not arguing with his wife, knowing her to be an excellent judge of character and far too stubborn to listen to his rants any longer. Still, that didn't mean he had to like her conclusion.

Noriko patted her husband's arm comfortingly and smiled at the young couple. She believed in the two of them. She could see something between the two that was precious and rare to find. Shino made her daughter happy and she would fight for her daughter's happiness no matter who threatened it.

"Why don't you two take some time to talk. It may have been just a few days since you saw each other but it sounds like a lot has happened since then."

Shino was grateful to be excused and even more grateful to Noriko for her support. He would have to remember to thank her properly.

Sachi had taken a moment to retrieve her glasses and they left soon after.

* * *

Have you been enjoying this story so far? Did anyone see that coming?


	17. Chapter 17

Now we get to see Sachi meeting Kiba and Hinata.

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chapter 17

Start from scratch

"I guess that went as well as I could have hoped. I think Kaachan will calm Tousan down a bit and he won't be so against us."

"Your mother is quite strong willed."

"They aren't always like that. They only butt heads when it's something important."

"Now that I have met your first request perhaps I should take you out to lunch. Never bringing you on a date after a week of being together makes me seem rather negligent."

Sachi slipped her arm into his, wrapping both arms around his limb affectionately.

"Well, since you were gone for all but the first day I think I can forgive you for that. No need to go so far as to describe yourself as negligent," she emphasized the last word heavily as if it tasted sour on her tongue.

"I have a very forgiving girlfriend. I will endeavor to show my appreciation as well as correct my grievous mistakes."

She patted his arm, much like her mother had recently done to her father, in comfort.

"Shino-kun, you don't have to be so hard on yourself. Things happen. Some problems came to light but they were all resolved. I know you didn't intend for me to get involved in all that clan business and I'm grateful for that. The fact that you weren't there was just bad timing. Your father helped me out a lot. I think he was the whole reason we won over the council."

"He has taken a liking to you. He thinks you will be good for me."

"Well, he and my mother seem to agree. I have to admit, I'm really surprised she didn't scare you away."

"I have met people more," what exactly was the right word, "flamboyant than your mother."

Sachi laughed. "I find that hard to believe."

If only she had ever met Gai or Lee she would have understood.

"Even if she had frightened me I would have returned. Why?" he asked in his usual manner, looking down at her. "Because you would have been worth it."

Shino saw a gentle blush creep up under her glasses, enhancing the happy smile that played on her lips. He couldn't have stopped his own smile appearing on his face even if he wanted to.

"You're dipping into some pretty cheesy lines," she said through her smile.

"Perhaps you bring out a new side in me. Even so, you enjoy them."

"You're right about that." She leaned her head against his shoulder as they walked, her temple flush with his shoulder. "I can tell you smiled again. I'm getting better at this."

"You have worked hard to get where you are. You should be proud."

"I am. So, anyway," she redirected in her usual way, "where are we going to eat?"

"There is a restaurant around the corner that I am partial to. If you would prefer to go somewhere else-" she interrupted before he could finish that thought.

"I'm sure it will be fine. I'm not very picky. Too much of one food gets boring but I'll eat just about anything. Do you go to this place often?"

"Fairly often, yes. They welcome the presence of Aburame as much as the next customer."

"Wait," she interjected with indignance, "you mean to say some people don't let you into restaurants just because you are an Aburame?"

"No. We are not turned away at the door but owners find it unsavory to host insect users due to the connection we have with pests."

"They don't want to serve you because they think you will bring cockroaches in or something?" she asked disbelievingly. "It's not like you just leave insects where ever you go. Well, not usually," she added thinking back to Kai-san.

"It is not easy to escape their scrutiny. Most merely tolerate our presence. Oftentimes we can be forgotten."

Sachi had a sudden revelation. "Oh, so that's what that was about! I found Shibi-san in a restaurant once. He said he had waited over an hour and they forgot about him." Her tone turned to pity. "That's so sad. It must be so lonely. I could tell you were lonely in the bookstore the first time we met."

An eyebrow raised above his glasses. "How?" He wasn't about to deny the truth. Many of his friends had been pairing off to begin serious relationships and some, such as Naruto and Hinata, had already become engaged. And there he was in the midst of happy couples without any sort of romantic prospects. It was difficult to act as if there wasn't a heavy cloud of misery and loneliness over his head on particularly sorrowful days.

"The way you said you were shopping for a wedding gift. You sounded sad and just a bit bitter. At first, I thought you had feelings for the bride, and that's why you were so sour about the situation."

"Hinata is my team mate and I consider her a dear friend but I have never been romantically interested in her."

"Yeah, I figured I got it wrong when you started to spend so much time with me."

They arrived at the restaurant where a kind-faced middle-aged woman sat them at a front table. Shino helped Sachi to her chair, earning him another happy smile from his favorite redhead.

The waitress beamed at the pair of them, quite taken with their innocent exchange. She placed their menus before them and told them of the specials before leaving them time to decide their order.

Having frequented this particular shop often, he already knew what his order would be. As such, he spent no time perusing the menu in front of him. He instead chose to watch Sachi over the top of his glasses. It hadn't occurred to him that even with her new perceptive abilities she still couldn't read print.

Sachi fingered the menu, quietly picking as the fraying edges of the smooth plastic cover. He thought briefly of how she handled unfamiliar restaurants but in his true fashion, he chose to observe to find the answer himself.

The thought crossed his mind to offer his help with reading the menu but he dismissed the thought quickly. Sachi seemed to have no qualms about asking for help if she truly needed it. He was sure if she wanted his help she would have asked.

When the waitress returned she ordered the special and tea. Shino gave his order and the waitress left them with the assurance that their meal would be out in a timely fashion.

"It's alright if you ask, you know," Sachi stated, once again showing her astute perception. "I don't mind if it's you asking."

"You order based on what is recommended." It was not a question.

"Yes," she confirmed. "Like I said, I'm not picky when it comes to food. I'm just lucky like that. I like variety and ordering the special when I'm unfamiliar with the menu hasn't failed me yet, unless there is something pickled. I just can't stand that smell."

Shino didn't have time to respond when his name was called from a familiar voice.

"Oi! Shino!"

He didn't have to look to know that voice belonged to Kiba. He turned to see the rest of his team approaching their table at the front of the restaurant.

"Hey," Kiba began just as they arrived in front of the seated couple, "we were thinking of grabbing some food after the mission, too." Kiba turned his gaze to Sachi, sitting patiently in her chair. "Who's this?" Kiba inquired with a teasing air. "Is this who you've been skipping out of practice early to see? The one you won't tell us about?"

"It is. That's because-"

Kiba ignored him and turned to Sachi. "Hey, I'm Kiba Inuzuka. This is Akamaru and Hinata Hyuuga. We're Shino's teammates."

"It's nice to meet you all. I'm Sachi Hara."

Kiba's eyebrow quirked as he leaned his head to the side in confusion. "You're not another Aburame?" He turned back to Shino. "Do you have to find the only girl in the village that wears sunglasses when it's not sunny to take on a date? What? Is that some weird fetish?"

"Kiba, shut up," Shino growled menacingly. He didn't want his rambunctious teammate to alienate his girlfriend.

On the contrary, Sachi giggled at Kiba's remark.

"It's okay, Shino-kun. It's kind of funny when they don't notice. I must be getting good at blending in." She addressed Kiba again. "I don't know about Shino-kun's preferences with women and eyewear but mine aren't just a fashion statement. I'm blind."

Kiba's mouth opened as he let out a dull processing noise. He didn't seem to know how to respond.

"Hinata Hyuuga? Isn't that the same Hinata that Shino-kun said was getting married?"

"Yes. Naruto-kun and I are getting married soon."

"You're marrying THE Naruto Uzumaki?" she nearly shouted in surprise. "The village hero? Wow! Congratulations to you both. I've heard great things about him."

"Thank you."

With Sachi's surprise waning she could reflect on their voices more. Kiba's voice was slightly louder than normal and held an almost constant teasing air in his deep tones.

Hinata's, on the other hand, was one of the sweetest and softest voices she had ever heard. When Hinata spoke, Sachi had the strangest sensation of burying her face in a thick goose down comforter just as it came out of a warm dryer. She could tell the woman was just as warm and inviting as a nice bath in the cold winter.

She immediately counted it as one of her most favorite voices. Not that she had made a list before now. But now that she thought about it Hinata's would have to be second best, the soft lilt of her voice only beaten by Shino's rich baritone.

The waitress arrived with their food making it clear that the other two and the dog were not part of their outing.

"We should be going,"Hinata suggested.

"Yeah. Hey, wait. "He looked down to Sachi again, a mischievous smile decorating his face, bleeding such intent into his tone. "So, if your blind does that mean you hear things really well?"

"My hearing is above average, yeah. Why?"

Kiba sent a scandalous glance at Shino who frowned and glared at the Inuzuka from behind his sunglasses.

"Well, hear this." He cupped a hand to his mouth so Shino couldn't see his lips move and whispered something to her. Shino only caught his name in the exchange and could make nothing out among the other mutterings.

Sachi's face told more than the Inuzuka did. Her eyebrows shot up and into her hair, ruffling her bangs slightly and her face tinged a heavy red that seemed to emanate enough heat to fry an egg.

"Well, you two have fun," Kiba clapped Shino on the shoulder with a giddy smirk in place. He winked down at Shino. "See you guys around."

He waited until his teammates were out of earshot until he addressed Sachi who's face remained as red as her hair.

"What did Kiba say about me?"

Sachi coughed into her hand to bide her time and disguise her discomfort. "Nothing," she said unconvincingly in a higher pitch than normal.

"You shouldn't trust anything bad Kiba says. He enjoys joking with people too much to always remain truthful."

"Well, it wasn't actually bad. So..."

Shino raised an eyebrow in question as she trailed off. Though she usually paid special attention to his facial expressions and the general air around them she didn't seem to be focusing at the moment.

"So?" he inquired, hoping to lead her back to her train of thought.

"So, if it's not a bad thing should I believe it?"

"You could just allow me to confirm or deny the detail."

"No," she laughed nervously. He sighed. He had no idea what sort of game Kiba was playing by telling Sachi something obviously embarrassing about himself. But what could Kiba have said that Sachi considered good but still caused her to be embarrassed by hearing it?

"Oh, don't be so down," Sachi intoned, sensing his distress. "I'll make you a deal. Take me back to that pond tonight and I'll tell you just after our third date."

"Just after the second date and I'll take you to the festival next week."

"Alright," she readily agreed. "Just after the second date then."

* * *

Next chapter we get to see why Sachi wears her sunglasses. How are you guys enjoying things so far?

Do you want to make things a little interesting? Try to guess who will be the antagonist of the story and what they will be doing in this story (this person is an OC, but they are from a clan from the Naruto universe). The person that guesses the closest will win a free question about me or this story. We have several chapters to go before the introduction of this character, so take your time.


	18. Chapter 18

Normally I wouldn't reveal a contest winner so soon but only one person made a guess. As the enemy is being introduced in this chapter, the contest is over. That means **Lycoris1305** is the winner! You can PM me with any question about this story or myself and I will answer as long as the answer isn't a spoiler.

* * *

Chapter 18

A penny for your thoughts

"Shino-kun, be honest. Do my eyes really look like a Hyuuga's?"

True to his word Shino was leading them to the pond just after they finished their meal. He had suspected Sachi was mulling over a question in her mind, given the tense silence of the last few minutes.

"There are similarities. The Hyuugas' eyes have no pupil only a large pale iris. Your pupil and iris bare similar colors, unlike most eyes where the two are usually seen as separate."

"So, their eyes are cloudy white like mine?" she questioned. "That's the color Kaachan told me my eyes were."

"Not exactly. The Hyuugas' eyes are more of a pale lavender."

"Lavender, that's one of those purple colors, right?"

"Yes. What makes you so interested in colors?"

"Oh, I've always been interested in colors. Thier fascinating but they just go over my head. I've just always wondered if Kaachan really meant that my eyes were like a Hyuuga's or if she was just saying that to make me feel better by comparing me to a prestigious clan. I guess she really meant it then."

Thier conversation ate up the time it took to arrive at the pond and Shino sat against a tree, stretching out a leg in front of him and bending his other knee to rest his arm upon it. He was surprised to find Sachi sliding herself between his legs, leaning her back against his chest.

"Is this okay? Would you like me to move?" she asked, not wanting to elicit discomfort in him.

"No. It's fine."

"Anyway, colors are just difficult. Sometimes I think I understand them but other times I still feel like I don't have a clue."

"How do you perceive color?" he questioned. He was curious how a visual concept would be taken in by one that was unable to discern such obvious understanding of the subject.

"It's just association. Like when you said lavender I thought of the flower and how it smells." She leaned herself forward and wrapped her arms around her knees. "When I think about blue I think water and sky and sadness. But I think red is a lot harder to understand. They say it's for fire and anger but it's also for love and roses. So it's difficult to think of my hair as red. I'm not sure if that's supposed to be good or bad."

"Your hair is nice the way it is." Perhaps it was simple propriety or the desire to gift her with clarity that made him say this but he did indeed like her hair. It was short and simple and he was sure it required minimum upkeep. No doubt it was because she cared less for her appearance and much more so for convenience. Long hair was quite a lot to manage- he knew from all the times he had watched Hinata picking various bits of foliage and knots out of her hair over the years. Long hair was beautiful if it was maintained properly but there was not enough payoff for her to work so hard on it.

"Thanks," she said. "I understand visual concepts in my own way. I learn a lot just by listening to other people talk. It's surprising how much-sighted people think I don't understand when they don't even notice the things I do. I can tell they think about it when they pause in talking like they expect me to ask what 'shiny' is." She groaned in irritation. "Sorry," she said in a lighter tone, "it's just frustrating sometimes."

"Have I ever frustrated you in this way?"

"Not that I remember. Are there a lot of insects around here?" She switched from her answer to an unrelated question quickly. Shino noticed she changed the subject often, not so much to avoid an answer but it seemed more like she would suddenly remember something she had to give a voice to.

It was second nature for him to be aware of the tiny lives around him. Even if he didn't have the ability to sense them, one could postulate that there were many insects around a pond in the spring.

"Insects are everywhere. But yes, there are many around us."

"Will you tell me about them?"

Shino casually tilted his left hand in the air, the one not placed on his knee, and called for a nearby insect. A speedy dragonfly was the first to answer the call.

"Hold out your hands." She crossed her legs under her and turned her palms up. He commanded the dragonfly to crawl from his hand to hers and it readily obeyed the insect master.

"Whoa!" Sachi intoned in surprise.

"This is a dragonfly. They consume smaller insects for nourishment. They begin as larvae in bodies of water after they hatch."

"No wonder they call it a dragonfly. This thing is huge compared to regular flies. Can I touch it?"

Shino continued to summon individual insects for her perusal. He told her the names and a few facts about each as they crawled across her palms. She most enjoyed the ones she could safely touch without fear of injuring the insect. Several beetles were counted among her favorites for their smooth chitin exoskeletons.

"Do these insects know I'm different because of my chakra?"

"They sense you are not like most just as they do with me. But they pay no mind unless they are called as they are not parasitic."

He did have to order away many parasitic insects that thirsted for her blood. She had not exaggerated when she said they seemed to seek her out. It was an almost constant command to order mosquitos away from her. He was sure if she started to itch heavily that she would want to go home and he was not ready to give up on their first date yet.

Caterpillars were praised highly for their fuzzy outer layers. Unlike most women, she didn't favor butterflies and moths. She was unable to touch their beautiful wings without hurting them and therefore held neutral feelings for the adults of the Lepidoptera order.

Her favorite of all was the monarch caterpillar as it was "velvety smooth and squishy".

This comment earned a full smile from the man behind her, though it went unnoticed as her chakra sense remained focused on the caterpillar she was petting in her hands.

It was a lovely experience for Shino to see her taking such an active and avid interest in a large part of his life. He wished it wasn't true but he knew that his connection with insects was a deal breaker for many women that might have considered him for their romantic exploits.

He had dearly wished for a woman to come along that could at least look past that part of him and love him in spite of his 'creepy' nature.

Once again he marveled at how compatible he and Sachi were. He couldn't find the words to express how grateful he was that she had never considered him creepy. He was incredibly thankful that she was accepting of all parts of him. From his nitpicking tendencies that irritated his teammates to the simple fact that he held insects within his own body.

When he had first implied that the insects she heard came from within him she did not question nor feel disgusted for such a revelation. Sachi took it as a fact and hardly thought on it again after that moment. She brought a delightfully welcome change. None other than another Aburame or Sachi would put so little thought into casual touches to an insect user.

Not that he meant to describe Sachi as thoughtless. She didn't often think about her words before she said them but there was rarely ever malice behind her unfiltered thoughts.

Which was, in itself, a gift. Each time she spoke without thinking she gave Shino insight to how she was as a person. It told him that she was a genuinely kind woman, albeit one with a temper when properly riled.

She was kind and quick to forgive, something he was never good at. He still held a grudge from Naruto's inability to recognise him after he returned to the village with Jiraiya.

"We're a lot alike, Shino-kun," she said offhand, breaking into his thoughts. "We both appreciate things that others take for granted." She indicated the caterpillar in her hands.

"We also share a disinterest in aesthetic value."

"Yeah, that too. You're a great guy, Shino-kun."

"And you are a wonderful woman Sachi-chan," he said accidentally continuing her small alliteration.

"What is it you like about me?" she asked curiously, letting the monarch caterpillar go in the grass, not wanting to keep it from its busy life of eating milkweed.

"What isn't there to like?"

"I was just wondering what it was about me that you liked enough to want to get to know me. Your kikai were the first thing that interested me most when we first met. The buzzing is very nice. Normally I hear so many things it's hard to pick out what I want to hear. But when you're around the buzzing drowns out the other sounds like a fan or white noise. It also makes me appreciate your voice more when it's one of the few things I can hear." She turned her body to the side giving him a profile of her face. "I really appreciate how great of a friend you have been before we got together." There she was, off topic again.

"I enjoy many things about you," he began attempting to steer the conversation back to her original question. "Your acute hearing was the first thing that intrigued me. No one has ever been able to hear the kikai while they remain within their host. The fact that you hear them from several paces away was a surprise. Your inquisitive and kind nature is appealing and your lack of negative reaction to the kikai in my body solidified my interest in you."

Sachi smiled and breathed out a small laugh.

"The way you speak is strange but I like it. You always have me hanging on your every word."

She leaned back against him, tucking her head under his chin and tilting her head to hear the thrumming within his chest.

And that was what reminded him of another thing he loved about her.

It was easy for ones such as himself to get lost in the crowd and easily forgotten. But whenever he was with Sachi she made it seem like he was the only one around. She was able to pick him out of a crowd even when she was not expecting to see him, such as the first day he sought her out in her home, she had heard him outside and was eager to greet him.

"Is this okay?" she asked from her position against his chest. She could hear his heartbeat picking up as well as the kikai buzzing louder in response. But what had worried her was the gulp just inches from her ear. "I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

"It's fine," he said, honestly. It was not that he was uncomfortable. He was just unused to such close contact with another person. He never expected he would be cuddling with anyone! But he found himself its pleased all the same.

They relaxed like that for some time enjoying the other's company and the quiet. Well, Shino enjoyed the recognize sounds of crickets among the forest and leaves in the trees brushing in the light wind. Sachi focused on all the sounds of Shino, heart, kikai, breathing.

Beat, beat, hum. Beat, beat, hum, breath.

He could feel her sunglasses digging into his skin and while this was not uncomfortable it did cause them to lay askew on her face. He thought it was about time to address the issue.

"Sachi-chan, you don't need to wear your sunglasses around me. I will not react negatively and there is no reason for you to hide."

Sachi nervously brushed her fingers along the exposed arm of her sunglasses. She knew Shino spoke the truth. He had already seen her eyes and did not feel uncomfortable. Her head dipped slightly as she contemplated.

"You should do what makes you feel comfortable," Shino continued, "and know that I will accept either choice you make."

Acceptance would be a wonderful thing. She had only hid her eyes behind the frames for fear of causing anyone distress. Her younger self was so concerned with how she made others feel that she never showed her eyes to anyone but her family. She didn't want to hear her eyes compared to the stiff bodies of the dead. Wearing her glasses was simply a force of habit now; a comfortable distance between her and everyone else.

She sighed. Maybe if she explained the reason she wore them he would understand a bit better.

"When I was just a kid I had a pet hamster..."

Flashback

Sachi- five years old

Sachi awoke early in the morning. She was usually an early riser but today she woke to the cries of her new baby brother and the shuffling sounds of her mother tending to him. She peeled back her blankets and jumped out of her high bed, her tiny feet slapping on the hardwood floor. She trailed a hand along the wall to her dresser where her unseeing eyes were level with a small cage that sat on top of the wooden drawers.

"Morning, Piggy-chama," she greeted cheerfully.

The rodent was a hamster but when she asked her parents for a pet she had requested a guinea pig. Having already picked out the name she decided it would work just fine for the hamster.

"You were quiet all night. You weren't even running in your wheel. You must have been sleepy," the 5-year-old intoned to her pet. "Rise and shine it's breakfast time," she singsonged cheerily.

She took a small handful of food from a container next to the cage and dropped it into the bowl in the corner after opening the cage door.

But something didn't seem quite right. Piggy-chama hadn't moved to get her food. Sachi's tiny hand searched the cage, hoping her little friend hadn't escaped somehow. Her hand patted the shredded paper until her fingers found the familiar fuzzy mass. She lifted the hamster out of the cage and into her hands.

Sachi cupped the tiny body in one hand as her fingers trailed along the rodent's hair.

Piggy-chama didn't move.

Sachi knew something was wrong. Her fingers trailed the body frantically from the dry nose to the stiff tail. The whole body lost its smooth motions. It refused to be moved. Piggy-chama was cold and held no heartbeat.

Sachi's own body tensed as the realization came to her. She had heard about death before now. She had asked about it when her family had attended her grandmother's funeral. At her tender age of 5, she understood it as no longer moving, breathing, or talking and having no beating heart.

She had never imagined it to be so disturbing.

Piggy-chama's death left her stiff, cold and unmoving. Sachi felt a chill shoot up her spine and her hair stood on end as everything in her begged her to stop touching the decaying body.

She shoved the hamster's body back into the cage, rougher than she intended in her distress. She scrubbed her palms on her pajama bottoms, desperately willing away the memory of a dead body on her hands.

Tears streamed down her face as she began crying and running as fast as she could to her mother for comfort and answers.

Later that morning after Noriko managed to answer all the 'how's and 'why's and 'what for's relating to the loss of Sachi's beloved pet, she calmed to a state of gloomy sadness.

She understood they had to move on and Sachi reluctantly accompanied her mother and baby brother to the market for grocery shopping.

Sachi held onto her mother's shirt as the woman steadied a hand on her newborn in a sling and busied herself at a produce stand on the bustling street.

Sachi occupied her childish attention span with listening to the crowd around them. She couldn't run off to play unless she wanted to get lost. In the small village of Konoha blindness was a rarity. And even those that were blind were typically very old or had lost their sight fighting as a shinobi for their village. Sachi's mother had scoured the village for both products and people to help her daughter adjust and learn to live without sight. She had found an old man willing to teach Sachi how to navigate the world through the use of a cane. But the man had refused to teach her until she was at least six, an age he deemed old enough to actually learn anything. Until then she relied on her mother in unfamiliar territory.

The usual chatter of business transactions hit Sachi's ear accompanying the sounds of life in the lively village of Konoha.

"How much?"

"I was going to..."

"I'm hungry."

"...blind girl..."

Sachi tuned her ear to the conversation across the street. It was likely the man was speaking about her. With so few blind people in the village, the odds of being the only blind girl on the street that day were rather high.

"You mean that red headed girl holding the woman's shirt?" a second male voice responded to the first.

"Yeah," the first voice confirmed. "Look at her eyes," he said in disgust. "They're all gray and creepy looking."

Sachi gasped. Creepy? Was she really creepy?

"Ew, yeah. Reminds me of that dead body we saw on our mission last month, all gross and empty looking. Her eyes are just dead."

Sachi's unseeing eyes widened in horror, her breath catching in her throat. Did she really resemble the dead like Piggy-chama? Did her eyes look cold and stiff? Did they induce the same chilling shiver she had felt on her spine just that morning?

A feeling of terrible empathy coursed through her. Had she really subjected everyone around her to the same disturbing feelings she had only just learned about?

Her bottom lip quivered as she remembered her terrible feelings of disgust just hours ago. Tears filled her gray eyes and she shut them away from everyone around her. She sniffled quietly and rubbed away the tears leaving cold tracks on her face.

If that was really how she made everyone feel she would make sure that no one ever saw her eyes again.

End flashback

"I felt so terrible that everyone was just being polite and not mentioning that my eyes bothered them. I didn't want them to feel that way anymore. I know I wouldn't want to go through that again."

Shino was greatly upset that anyone would be so heartless as to cause a child to cry, especially when they left such a lasting impression with their careless words.

"I am honored you shared this with me. But I remain adamant in my opinion. They were wrong. Your eyes are beautiful and if you wish to continue to wear your sunglasses I would understand but you will receive no negativity from me."

"Maybe..." she paused and chewed on her words, fingering the arm of the sunglasses in question again. "Maybe another time," she said softly.

"Maybe," he echoed. "It's late. I should take you home."

When he dropped her off that night they took the long way home. Shino listened to the nonsensical thoughts that spilled forth from Sachi as they walked slowly back to her house. In between her verbal wanderings, Shino thought back to the first time he saw her in the bookstore.

She placed a kiss on his cheek and left him at her door step, full of thoughts.

He knew it was not love at first sight. Neither of them was frivolous enough to put stock into that idea.

No. Shino believed he had fallen into familiarity. As if he knew in that moment that one day it would be her he would love.

It was as if he could glimpse the future and he knew she would always be a part of it. Perhaps it was fate as the Hyuuga preached.

Whatever it was, Shino knew now, it was her. It will always be her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A lone insect sat at the corner of its target's window sill. It's compound eyes peered through the glass at the woman as she readied for bed in the muted light from the moon.

It waited patiently for the confirmation it needed.

The woman towel dried her short hair and threw the towel into the laundry hamper in the corner of the room. She rolled her shoulders and neck just before climbing into bed.

The insect upon the sill heard the woman speak to the kikai upon her head, inquiring if it needed more chakra. It responded with two low chirps. The woman whispered a goodnight to her tiny companion and settled herself under her covers.

The foreign insect waited again for the woman to fall asleep and as she relaxed it could feel the pull of her chakra. The insect twitched it's wings irritably. It had been expressly forbidden to be seen or detected. It would have let itself into the house by any means to gorge on the woman's unrestrained chakra if it had not been ordered otherwise.

With it's reconnaissance done it flew back to it's master, perched on a high branch of a tree outside the leaf village.

The insect's master welcomed it back with an open palm.

"What have you discovered?" the low voice inquired.

The insect relayed it's information to it's master.

Under the cover of a cloak, the insect user smiled toothily and purred a sickly sweet, "Sachi-chan."

* * *

Please review with your thoughts!


	19. Chapter 19

Because I was told every good story has a festival scene.

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Chapter 19

Out on the town

Ino had been tending the counter of the Yamanaka flower shop that morning, filling orders for countless dates for the Bon Odori festival that afternoon. She sighed and tapped her finger on the counter, impatiently awaiting the end of her shift. She and her boyfriend Sai were planning on attending the festival and she only had so much time to get home and get ready before he came to pick her up.

The door bell chimed out the arrival of another customer. Ino stood from her slouched position to greet them with a strained smile but was instead startled into silence and a shocked expression.

"Shino-kun? Is that you?"

Behind the counter, Ino stared at his new appearance. Today he had forgone his usual jacket and hood for a more formal yukata, therefore, revealing more of his face and neck.

"Yes," he answered as he pushed his sunglasses farther up the bridge of his nose. He had forgotten how revealing it felt to go without a hood. It had been years since he had to reveal so much of his face to others and even then it was a rare occasion when the situation called for a change in attire.

"I guess you look pretty nice under that jacket. What's the occasion?" Ino said with a smile.

"I'm sure you have heard of the festival today," Shino said filling the space in front of the counter.

Ino rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Yeah, yeah. I've got that. But you wouldn't have dressed up and come for flowers for no reason right?" She pointed a long finger at him with a winning smirk. "You must have a date!"

"Yes. I do," he stated far too plainly for Ino's taste. It always bothered her how unflappable her former classmate was. Most easily caved to her subtle information gathering about the latest gossip but Shino never revealed more or less than exactly what he wanted you to know. For a woman that benefitted from the loud outbursts of her friends or even the candid speech of her boyfriend, she was upset that Shino finally had information she wanted. She was determined to get it.

"Oh!" She clapped her hands together happily. "Who is it? Anyone I know?"

"Sachi Hara."

Ino's brief success was overshadowed by her failure in recognizing the name.

"Who's that?" Ino asked.

"She is a civilian."

Ino put a finger to her cheek and looked away, racking her brain for the name. "Hmm, doesn't ring a bell. You'll have to introduce her to everyone. What's she like?" Ino leaned across the counter, pressing him for more details. He did not even flinch.

"I came here for flowers not small talk."

Luckily for Ino, she had already anticipated such a line.

"Ah, but Shino-kun," she began airily, "I have to know what kind of girl is receiving the flowers to know what kind of bouquet to make." Ino smiled, surely he couldn't wiggle his way out of that reasoning!

"I need one bouquet to thank someone and another that smells nice."

Ino cocked an eyebrow at the strange request. 'Thank you's were common reasons for gifting flowers but just a group of flowers that smelled good?

She stood upright again and waved her hands in the air in a negative and frustrated manner. "No, no, no, no, no! That's too generic. You need to tell me about her so I can use the right flowers. Every flower has a meaning and if I don't have the right idea then there can be miscommunication."

Shino considered his options. He knew that giving into Ino would be exactly what the woman wanted. It was on general principal as a reserved man that he had refused her so far. But even so, to continually refuse her would seem as if he were ashamed to talk about his relationship with Sachi, which was far from the truth. Perhaps it was best to give in, just this once.

"Sachi-chan is kind, curious, cheerful and attractive. She is vibrant and endearing."

The blonde's eyes sparkled at her victory. "Is that so? Where did you two meet?"

"On the street."

"Hmm. So, are you two official?"

"Is she my girlfriend? Yes," he answered. He didn't see how she could even pass this questioning off as part of her bouquet information.

"That's so great. I'm happy for you! How long have you two been dating?"

"About 2 weeks."

"That long?" Ino nearly shouted her surprise. "And I haven't heard about it?"

"I had a mission during that time."

Ino's eyes twinkled mischievously. "Do you love her?" she asked teasingly.

"It would be foolish to make such declarations so early in a relationship. I care for her, yes. But we have not known each other long enough for that."

Ino hummed in disappointment. She really shouldn't have expected much else from Shino. Ino turned to the array of flowers.

"So which one is for Sachi-chan? The one that smells nice?" He nodded. "Who is the other one for?"

"Sachi-chan's mother."

"Really?" she said absentmindedly as she sniffed two flowers together. It seemed she approved of the combination and picked several more to accompany it. "What are you thanking her for?"

"She has been very supportive of our relationship. Despite other sources disapproving."

Ino nodded knowingly. "Yeah, dads will be like that," she said wistfully, wishing her own father would have been around for Sai to meet properly.

There were several moments of silence as they both remembered the losses of the last war. It was the most unfortunate circumstance that their victory came at the cost of so many lives.

"Well, anyway," Ino broke the silence not wanting to linger on unhappy thoughts on a festive day, "I'm sure they will love these." Ino finished wrapping up the bouquets just as the transaction finished.

"This one is for Sachi-chan," she pointed to the left one, " and this one is for her mother." He took both bundles just as she spoke again. "Don't forget, you have to introduce Sachi-chan to everyone today."

Shino had the distinct impression that by 'everyone' the blonde really meant 'me'. He nodded either way and left for Sachi's home.

He knocked upon his arrival and was met with the excited face of Noriko.

"Shino-kun, lovely to see you as always!" she beamed. He proffered the bouquet in his right hand to her.

"I wished to thank you for your approval in mine and Sachi-chan's relationship. You have remained an invaluable source of support from the beginning."

The woman's eyes lit up in admiration. "Oh, Shino-kun, you didn't have to so this." She beamed more and took the flowers in her small hands. "My, they are lovely, thank you, Shino-kun." She ushered him into the house with a guiding hand. "You make my little girl happy and that is what matters, despite what my husband may say, you are a good man."

"Thank you, Noriko-san."

"I'll get Sachi," she said, laying the flowers upright in the sink until she could deal with them properly. "She's probably listening to music and didn't hear you arrive."

Just as Noriko bustled up the steps, Aoi, who had been previously been sitting quietly at the table, cleared his throat loudly.

"Sit," he commanded with a hard glare. Shino did as he was asked, mentally preparing himself for the inevitable talk. "Now, my wife may think you are a good kid and from what I've seen that may be true. But you are a young man and my daughter's boyfriend and I know what that means." His tone lowered to an impossibly dangerous level as he leaned forward on his largely muscled arms. "If you dare to force yourself on her or get her pregnant, mark my words, there won't be enough pieces of you left to hold a funeral."

"You needn't worry. Why? It is because it is beneath me to ruin a good relationship by moving it too quickly. And any man that forces himself on a woman can never be considered a real man."

The hulking redhead pointed a finger at him from across the table. "You keep those things in mind and we can remain somewhat civil."

"Here she is!" Noriko announced extravagantly as Sachi entered the kitchen with little fanfare compared to her mother, who seemed to have retrieved two vases in the time she had left. "Doesn't she look beautiful?"

Sachi's look rarely changed. Her hair was not a cut that could easily be styled differently and she never bothered herself with makeup. But thanks mostly to her mother her clothing was rather varied. At the time of a more formal night such as this, she wore a mint green yukata with bright floral print.

Despite the lack of significant change Shino had to agree as well as disagree with Noriko.

She did look beautiful, yes, but she always had.

Though she lacked a certain natural understanding of visual concepts he knew she still held a fascination for them and he felt the need to voice his thoughts for her benefit.

"She looks beautiful every day. Today she looks exquisite." His efforts were rewarded with a stunning smile and he knew in an instant he would have to compliment her more, purely for the selfish reason of seeing that smile again. "These are for you." He held out the flowers, the plastic lining crinkled slightly in his hand.

She lifted the package from his hand to her nose, breathing in the scent of the purple and white lilacs.

"Thank you Shino-kun these smell wonderful."

"I'll put them in your room for you, dear. You two should go or you will miss all the fun."

Aoi filled the space next to Sachi as Noriko left to tend to the flowers. He held her chin with his hand and placed a kiss on her forehead. "You look amazing my little Chi-chan. You two go have fun. Not too much fun," he amended with a harsh glare at Shino.

"Tousan, Shino-kun is a perfect gentleman. You don't have to worry about me." She reached up to pat her father's arm comfortingly.

"I'll always worry," he grunted.

"Go on you two, enjoy the festival," Noriko ushered them out the door rather hastily.

* * *

Next chapter will actually be the festival.

As always please review. A writer can never improve without feedback.


	20. Chapter 20

The festival will be taking place in this chapter and the next. Too much was going on to make it one chapter.

* * *

Chapter 20

A Doubting Tomas

"It seemed they were eager to make us leave," Shino mentioned just as the door to Sachi's home closed behind them.

"Oh, they just wanted the house to themselves. It may not seem like it but they are madly in love. Tousan can be a bit coarse but Kaachan says she mellowed him out over the years."

Shino raised an eyebrow skeptically, leading Sachi from her home towards the main street. If that was how Aoi was after he had been smoothed out by his wife he did not want to see what he was like before. "They are an interesting pair."

Sachi seemed to recognize doubt in Shino's tone. "Tousan is a lot sweeter when you aren't around. He just feels the need to make sure you treat me right."

"I would do so even without your father intervening because it is the right thing to do. All women deserve to be treated with respect. You father and I agree on that much."

"I always knew you were a gentleman." She hugged the arm she was holding with a flood of fondness overwhelming her heart. She heard the bustling of many people as they approached one of the largest streets where a large amount of the festival stands had been set up.

"What's the festival look like?" she asked.

Shino cast his eyes around at the varied decor. "There are a variety of food stands lining the streets, colorful banners streaming from streetlights, people milling about the streets in a wide array of yukata. Children are getting their faces painted. Many are enjoying the local cuisine. Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves."

"What colors are the banners?"

"Bright, warm, summery colors."

She hummed contentedly and breathed deeply.

"Oh! I smell dango. Can we get some?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile

"Hey! Forehead!" The voice of Ino Yamanaka cut through the crowd, dragging her pale boyfriend along with her towards her pink haired friend and her long time love.

"Have you heard about Shino-kun?" Ino asked the pink haired medic, holding the arm of her tall, handsome, love interest, Sasuke.

"Shino-kun?" Sakura questioned. "Is everything okay? Did something happen on a mission?" she asked with concern, wondering if this was a message for her to get to the hospital immediately.

Ino waved her hand dismissively, impatient to get to the heart of the matter. "Of course he is okay. I just saw him a few hours ago. I'm asking if you heard about his girlfriend."

"Shino-kun has a girlfriend?" She asked, effectively answering Ino's question.

"You mean you guys don't know either?" She groaned. "He just told me this morning."

"What did he say?" Sakura asked, sure that Konoha's foremost gossip queen would have gotten as many details as possible.

"He said her name is Sachi Hara. She's a civilian. Apparently, they haven't been dating long but from the way he talks about her they seem to be pretty serious."

"Well, that's great. I'm happy for him," Sakura said with a smile.

"I'm not so sure we should jump ahead of ourselves so soon."

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked.

"All I'm saying is that the evidence doesn't work in their favor. They haven't dated long but they seem so serious. She's probably a hag cozying up to Shino-kun because he is a clan heir!"

"Shino-san isn't stupid enough to fall for that sort of thing," Sasuke interjected.

Sai nodded. "I agree. From what I can tell it could be a case of love at first sight. Or perhaps they are in the honeymoon phase of their new relationship."

Ino grumbled, unhappy that no one seemed to agree with what she viewed as a suspicious relationship between their friend and his love interest.

"Fine then," Ino ground out with a pout. "We'll just have to meet her and see. Shino-kun said they were on a date out here to the festival. They have to be around here somewhere."

It was then that Sakura spotted a familiar blond among the crowd.

"Wait a minute," Sakura called to halt her friend. "There's Naruto-kun and Hinata-chan. She might know something."

She waved and called to the couple. Naruto caught sight of them and made their way through the crowd.

"Hey, what's up? Enjoying the festival?" he asked.

"Yeah, yeah it's great," Ino rushed out, eager to get the niceties out of the way. "Hinata-chan, have you heard about Shino-kun's girlfriend?"

"You mean Sachi-chan? I've met her a few times."

"What's she like?"

"She's very kind. They seem good for each other. I've never seen Shino-kun so happy."

"So you don't think Shino-kun is being used?"

Hinata looked startled at the question. "Of course not. I don't think Sachi-chan is that kind of girl."

Sakura snickered and poked her friend's side. "Looks like you were wrong, Ino-pig."

"Hey, I had a good point," she defended. "It just turned out I wasn't exactly right."

"That's still called wrong, Ino."

"Whatever!" Ino shouted. "I still want to meet her. I'm dying to know what kind of girl Shino-kun is so interested in. Let's find them."

They made their way down the main street with six pairs of eyes scanning the crowd for their former classmate.

"Hey, Hinata-chan," Sakura said, "What is it about this girl that Shino-kun likes so much? I've never even heard of him being interested in anyone."

"Well, they seem to make each other happy. From what I can tell Sachi-chan knows about Shino-kun's clan and she was never put off by it." The pause following this statement held an almost palpable sense of guilt for any past thoughts or words they might have said about their friend and his symbiosis with the kikai he held. Even Hinata, who was known for always being polite, had wished she had spoken up in her youth to stand up against any who had called him creepy.

"She even seems to like the kikai."

"Like them?" Ino asked as if the woman were crazy. She may be far more tolerant of the bug user than she used to be but actually liking the insects was far from sane in her mind.

"Yes, from what Shino-kun has told me she can hear the kikai and she finds it relaxing. It's apparently a distinctive sound and she can hear him coming even in a crowd. So it seems she doesn't easily forget he is there."

Naruto groaned, slumping a little. "Yeah, well he would like that, wouldn't he? I still don't know why he is so sore about that."

"But Shino-kun said she was a civilian. How can she hear that well?" Ino asked.

"She's blind, so her sense of hearing is better than some," Hinata answered.

"She's blind? Did something happen?" Sakura asked with worry. She wondered if she should somehow offer her services as a medic if she had received an injury.

"Nothing happened. Sachi-chan has been blind since birth." Sakura hummed in response, understanding that case to be different. "I think that might be one of the reasons they are together."

"Because she's blind?" Ino asked with a great amount of confusion.

"Shino-kun spent a lot of time with her to teach her to use her chakra to get around. So, when she walks around, she doesn't use a cane much anymore. I think all that time they spent together brought them closer."

"Hey, there he is!" Naruto pointed through the crowd to the dango stand. "Hey, Shino-kun!" he shouted.

* * *

How are you enjoying things so far? Not that I'm asking for negative things but do you really have nothing bad to say about this story? No helpful hints? Constructive criticism?


	21. Chapter 21

I'm so pleased this story has reached 100 reviews! Thank you all! Seeing that this morning made my day.

* * *

Chapter 21

Head over heels

Shino turned to the origin of the sound confirming it to be the boisterous, blond knucklehead from their academy days as well as five others.

"What is it?" Sachi asked.

"My friends are coming over, likely to meet you," he said, returning Naruto's wave.

"Hey, Shino-kun. How's it going?" Naruto asked when the group approached.

"Things are going well, Naruto-kun."

Ino, ever the one to get to the point, interrupted. "So, Shino-kun, is this the girlfriend you mentioned?"

"Yes, Ino-san," adding the name for Sachi's benefit to help her match a name to the voice. "This is Sachi Hara, my girlfriend."

"Hello, it's nice to meet you," Sachi smiled politely.

"Hi, I'm Ino Yamanaka. This is my boyfriend, Sai. This is Naruto, Hinata's fiancee. Of course, you've met Hinata, here. And over there is Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha." It was only after the introductions were made that Ino realized Sachi couldn't see who she was pointing to and uncharacteristically clammed up at her faux pas.

"It's great to meet more of Shino-kun's friends," Sachi said, ignoring the tense feeling emanating from Ino. Sighted people that did not regularly deal with blind people often reacted like Ino when they thought they made a mistake. Luckily for Sachi, Ino had already given her quite enough information. Knowing their names was half the battle in identification and matching a voice to them was the other half.

"So, what do you do Sachi-san?" A feminine voice asked. Through the process of elimination, she guessed this voice could only belong to Sakura.

"I work at a bookstore. Mostly I just stock the shelves and clean," she answered.

"How do you stock books if you're blind?" Naruto asked.

Sakura hissed out a reprimand to Naruto and the silence from the group told that they thought it was a great insult to mention her inability to see.

They were surprised into more silence when Sachi's laughter rang out in their bubble of silence.

She couldn't help herself. The question had been posed in an innocent tone that reminded her of her brother as a young child. It made it seem like Naruto held a child-like innocence as well as lacking a healthy amount of tact expected of people their age.

It was refreshing to meet someone like herself that simply asked questions without a second thought and without noticing the possible insinuations in their words.

Through her dying laughter, she said, "I guess we all have our talents. Usually, book titles are engraved or smooth. So, when I run my fingers over them I can read them."

"Huh. I guess I never realized that about books," Naruto responded.

Sakura groaned. "Really, when was the last time you picked up a book, Naruto?"

"So, Sachi-san," Ino began, "Shino-kun told me you met on the street. That must have been romantic."

"Hmm, not really. I asked him about a bee hive and then I walked away."

"Is that an innuendo I am unfamiliar with?" Sai intoned.

Sachi correctly pinned the voice as Sai due to his proximity to Ino.

"So how did you start dating then?"

"We just did, I guess." She thought back to the unclear moment where she had asked, 'are we dating then?' "We both just liked each other and I guess there was no reason to say no. It's not exactly the romance you assumed but there it is and I wouldn't have it any other way."

"She caught my interest from the first moment. I sought her out and walked her home to eventually build a relationship."

"Shino-kun, I had no idea you were a romantic at heart!"

He couldn't exactly agree with Ino's inference but he wasn't about to argue with the woman who currently had stars dancing in her eyes at the thought.

"Shino-kun is pretty great. I'm really lucky," Sachi smiled.

"Hey, you guys are holding up the line. Are you buying or what?" The voice of the dango stand owner called to them.

"You will have to excuse us," Shino said to his friends.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"Your friends are interesting," Sachi said between bites of dango.

"Ino-san must have gathered them up to meet you."

"I hope I made a good impression."

"I believe they approve."

"Well, I'm glad to hear it. You know, with all the things I hear about Naruto-san, I didn't expect him to be so..." She trailed off to find the right word.

"Moronic?" Shino suggested.

"I wasn't going to say that. Maybe more naive or thick. He doesn't seem subtle or held back."

"You are not the only one who is lucky. That is because I am lucky to have you."

"Are you hung up on that?" Sachi asked after swallowing another bite.

He grumbled slightly and adjusted his glasses. He knew himself well enough to know he never let things go. Her hand found his and she squeezed it gently.

"I am lucky to have you," she whispered fondly.

XXXXXXXXXX

Sachi wanted to try her hand at a fishing game. Using her chakra sense to direct the large plastic fishing rod to catch a fake fish. She was ecstatic at her success at catching one, despite the fact she still lost having not caught the right fish to win.

"Do you want to try, Shino-kun? Maybe you can win me something," she said cheekily.

"I have no interest in playing those games. Most of them are rigged for the stand's benefit and the prizes are cheap. If you would like a gift from me you should know I already have one."

"You do?" she asked in surprise.

"Hold out your hands."

She did as he asked and studied the object he placed in her hands. It was a simple necklace with a thin chain and an oval pendant. She smiled enthusiastically.

"Aww, you got me a necklace! Thank you."

"No," he was quick to correct, "I made you that necklace. I preserved Kai-san in amber."

She gasped and ran her fingers over the pendant again. "This- This has Kai-san in it?" she asked reverently.

"Yes, I thought-" He was interrupted when she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

"Shino-kun that's amazing!" she said joyfully in his ear. "I can't believe you did that for me! I can't imagine a gift better than this one!"

She detached from him and Shino placed the necklace around Sachi's neck at her insistence.

The rest of the night was uneventful.

Sachi touched the amber necklace with one hand as Shino walked her home.

"That was a really fun date, Shino-kun, thank you."

"There is no need to thank me because it was just as pleasing for me. Thank you for accompanying me. There is still one thing left. You promised to tell me what Kiba whispered to you on our first date."

Her cheeks pinkened at the memory. "Oh, that. I was really hoping you would have forgotten about that. He may have mentioned that as your only male teammate he has seen you naked and he told me you would be more than just pleasing to the eye to women." He watched her face become darker with every word as she danced around the subject. "I mean he said you would obviously be pleasing- uh-"

"Sexually?"

"But I n-never looked. I swear!" she rushed out hastily. "Not before or after he said it! Though I was really curious and-and I could have but I didn't!"

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"I never confirmed the detail with my chakra sense. I felt like I would be invading your personal space and breaking your trust."

"So that's why you were so embarrassed."

Suddenly her reaction made sense. Of course, she wouldn't be able to brush such a detail aside without a thought. He found himself, if not enjoying, then at least appreciating her innocently prudish nature.

"Are you mad at him?" she asked.

"I would be more upset if he lied. Now, I believe our date is coming to a close."

They had been standing outside her home for a good part of their embarrassing conversation.

"Shino-kun," she placed her hands on his shoulders, "I'd like to thank you again for my gift."

He had a good idea of what she meant. The corner of his mouth turned up imperceptibly.

"You have already thanked me profusely."

She could hear a tone in his voice she wasn't used to hearing from him. Was he teasing her?

"I know," she said, closing some of the distance between them.

Like many times before he could feel her chakra passing over him, exciting his insects as much as him. He stooped slightly, making it easier for her to reach his height.

He heard the sound of a thrilling gasp as he took her chin delicately between his fingers.

"Sachi-chan, may I see your eyes?"

Her immediate reaction was a slight retreat backward. It was nearly undetectable and he might have missed it if his hand wasn't holding her chin.

He knew very well why she hid her eyes. She wore her glasses believing it disturbed those around her. It was his goal to one day rid her of such insecurities.

She took a few moments to respond. He waited patiently until she reached her decision. She lifted her sunglasses to the top of her head, revealing her unfocused gray eyes to him.

It was a moment he would never forget.

This was the first time she had willingly shown him her eyes. Though he had seen them before she seemed to be holding her breath until he responded.

He let his thumb trail down her temple and brush the corner of her eye.

"Beautiful," he whispered.

His breath dusted across her face making her eyes flutter shut just as she leaned into their first kiss.

It was both thrilling and gentle, exciting and sweet. Neither moved or breathed. Sachi could feel his heart beating beneath her fingers, confirming her suspicions that it was racing as fast as hers. Her heart warmed and swelled at this revelation.

When, at last, they separated to breathe they remained close, drinking each other in.

Shino let his thumb trail along her face as he watched her eyes flutter and her lips curl into a smile.

"How's that for a thank you?"

Amusement filled him, overflowing in an unexpected, quiet chuckle at her cheekiness.

"Exceptional. But I hope you don't thank everyone this way." She laughed.

"You'd be the first."

When they finally said good night each parted as is they were walking on air. Sachi couldn't stop blushing and smiling when she reflected on the night, remembering bits and pieces as she dressed for bed.

One memory caught her attention.

'I would be more upset if he lied.' Shino had said.

She paused to consider his words. If Kiba had lied... meaning Kiba had told the truth...

That could only mean...

Sachi clapped her hands over her mouth to stifle her shocked yell.

* * *

I'm not a prude but I can hardly believe I actually wrote that in there. I hope you all enjoyed it so that it was worth it!


	22. Chapter 22

Here is a little fluffy chapter for you. Sachi gets to meet Shino's team.

* * *

Chapter 22

A whole new ball game

A few days had passed that they had spent apart due to a short mission Shino was sent on. But when he had seen her the evening he returned he had a particular request of her.

Noriko was the first to greet Sachi the next morning as she descended the stairs. Seeing her daughter dressed and ready so early in the day was unusual on her days off.

"You're dressed early. Going somewhere?"

"Yeah. Shino-kun is picking me up to meet his team for breakfast."

Noriko made a distressed noise. "Why didn't you tell me?" she intoned with a disappointed pout. "I could have helped you get ready."

"What's wrong with how I am?" She patted her leg, ensuring she did indeed remember to wear pants. She wasn't usually forgetful.

"You should at least wear that new shirt I bought you and comb your hair."

"You know those glittery shirts are too itchy to wear and my hair is too short to do anything else. Running a comb through it won't do anything."

Noriko sighed. Gone were the days she could dress her daughter however she liked. But teenagers did desire their independence, sadly.

"I miss when you were little and had long hair. You used to let me do it for you every morning."

"I'm a big girl now, Kaachan. I can do my own hair."

"Washing it and letting it air dry is hardly 'doing' your hair!" Noriko said indignantly as if the very idea of not styling one's hair was enough to make her grind her teeth.

"That's how I do it," Sachi defended vehemently.

"At least consider leaving your hat here."

"What's wrong with my hat?"

"You wear it every day. You should change it up a bit. I'm sure Shino-kun would appreciate it."

"I'm sure Shino-kun doesn't care. Why?" Her voice turned hard and accusatory. "Did you take my hat?"

"Of course not dear-" her higher tone and lighter air told Sachi all she needed to know.

"You had Kaito-kun take it, didn't you?" She groaned. Her little brother was excellent at hiding things, especially from his blind older sister. "What did you bribe him with? Cookies before dinner?"

"I'm disappointed that you would think I would do such a thing," Noriko said lightly.

As astute as Noriko was she was conversely terrible at lying, especially to her child that had inherited her perceptive qualities in spades.

Sachi groaned again and stomped up the stairs intending to track down her stolen hat.

When Shino arrived at the Hara household's front door he thought it curious that this was the first time he had to knock of all the times he had been here before. Sachi had always heard him coming and opened the door before he could raise his hand. Not that it bothered him to complete such a simple task as knocking but he did wonder why this time was different.

When the door did open he was met with the teasing eyes of a smaller redhead that called this house home.

"I knew you liked my sister," Kaito smirked up at him.

"She is very likable," he returned.

Kaito wrinkled his nose in thought. "Do you two-like-kiss and stuff?"

Shino only stared down at the young man pragmatically. They had kissed only once but he was unsure what 'stuff' the boy referred to.

Kaito chose to take his silence as an omission of guilt and wrinkled his nose further.

"Ew! I don't want to think of my sister like that!"

"Perhaps you should not ask questions if you do not wish to know the answer."

Kaito stepped back to let him in finishing their conversation with a, "yeah, whatever."

Sachi appeared in the kitchen and strode over menacingly to Kaito. She ruffled his hair hard, sending the usually tame locks in all directions. Kaito exclaimed loudly and shoved her hand away.

"Hope the cookies were worth it, Otouto." Kaito smirked as he fixed his hair and made a teasing sound with his tongue out, hoping to rile his older sister some more.

"Well, Shino-kun, I'm ready when you are." Her head turned to the side, and he knew she was hearing something from within her own house. She grabbed his hand and began pulling him to the door frantically. "In fact right now would be great." If he hadn't been so quick on his feet she may have pulled him to the floor in her haste to run from whatever she heard.

"Sachi-chan, wait!" Shino afforded a sidelong glance behind them. Noriko stood in the doorway with her hands helplessly holding a comb and a barrette. Sachi didn't permit them to slow in their retreat until they were down the street and around the next corner where she panted in relief.

"Sorry about that. Kaachan is always trying to force her fashion sense on me."

"Neither of you seem forthcoming in an agreement."

"No," she agreed as they began to walk. "I don't think we will ever fully agree. We come to a compromise with my clothes. She won't have me just wearing anything as it could be mismatched, which she hates. And I don't want her daily help with picking out my clothes. So she helps me choose pants and shoes that are neutral colors and she has a little more reign over my shirts as long as they match any combination of pants and shoes I could wear. I couldn't care less as long as my clothes are comfortable. This way both of us are fairly happy."

"Why does she insist on interfering with your appearance when she knows you don't care?"

"Usually she doesn't. Some days like today neither of us wants to give in. But for the most part, she wants me to feel normal and be seen as normal but she encourages me to be who I am blindness and all. I used to be so self-conscious. I felt so limited in what I could do as a child but for the most part, it was just my own mind telling me I couldn't lead a normal life. I convinced myself that I couldn't have a regular job or life. At some point, I thought I would die old and alone because no one wants to live their life with a blind wife." She sighed. "I don't believe that now. Once I got older I distanced myself from all that negativity and stopped thinking so little of myself. I got a job, one that most people wouldn't think a blind person could handle and I made friends. I've come a long way and most of it was helped along by Kaachan. All of what you saw was just her way of loving and helping me."

Shino was pleased she was not who she claimed she once was. It would be a shame for such a bright and kind woman to think so little of herself. She must have been intensely strong to make that change in herself.

"It seems as if your younger self was very wrong."

"Yeah," she said in a tone of self-deprecation. "I always thought if I could go back in time I would smack some sense into myself for thinking like that."

"It is better to doubt oneself and be proven wrong than to always only assume one is right."

"I think you're right about that. Have you ever doubted yourself like that, Shino-kun?"

He had doubted many things in his life. It wasn't a heartening life growing up with children that usually referred to him as 'the creepy bug boy', being avoided or unnoticed by all his peers. He had often thought much the same as Sachi had, that he would grow old all alone because no one would want him.

They arrived at the restaurant, Kiba and Hinata greeted them, saving him from providing an answer. Another voice interjected into their pleasantries.

"Akakiba! Kibamaru!" Mirai shouted and ran up to Kiba and Akamaru.

"Sorry, we're late. Mirai needed a bath just before we left," Kurenai said, following her daughter up to the table, who was now hugging Akamaru.

Hinata responded first. "That's okay. We just arrived ourselves."

"So, this is Sachi-san?" Kurenai said as she set a bag down and slid into the booth. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Kurenai and this is my daughter Mirai."

"It's nice to meet you, too," Sachi said.

"Oka-chan it's Uncle Buggy and Hina-nee too!" Mirai shouted.

Shino grumbled his dislike, attempting to explain that he was too young to be considered her uncle. Sachi repressed a giggle.

"Who you?" Mirai asked, pointing a small finger at the only unfamiliar face at the table.

Sachi smiled brightly at the little girl. "My name is Sachi, Mirai-chan." Mirai seemed to consider her a moment.

"Akasachi, I Mirai," she said tapping her chest proudly.

"Are you?" Sachi cooed. "That's such a nice name."

Kurenai chuckled quietly. "It seems she's nicknamed you, too. She seems to do that with everyone."

"Is that what that 'Akasachi' was?" she asked.

"Yeah," Kiba said, "she still gets Akamaru and I mixed up. I keep telling her... maybe it has something to do with Akamaru being white and his name meaning red. That's probably why she tagged it on your name, you know, 'cause your hair is red."

The rest of breakfast had gone much like it had meeting Shino's mother. They asked her about herself. It seemed Shino hadn't given away too many details about her.

Mirai was sad to see everyone go their separate ways when their meal ended. Yet, she said her goodbyes with a smile. She said her rather enthusiastic goodbyes to Kiba and Akamaru, the latter of which didn't seem to mind the child pulling at his ears. Hinata had bent down for a hug before she left, leaving Kurenai, Mirai, Sachi, and Shino for their own parting.

Sachi was taken by surprise when Mirai hugged her legs. She didn't think the little girl would warm up to a stranger so quickly.

"Bye bye, Akasachi! I see you 'gain?"

Sachi gently patted the girl's head in lieu of awkwardly bending to reciprocate the hug around her legs. "Yes, I think we will see each other again."

Mirai then hugged Shino who had the forethought to kneel to receive the girl.

"Bye bye, Uncle Buggy."

"Mirai-chan, I am Buggy-niisan because I am not old enough to be an uncle."

She seemed to hear nothing but his last word. She only smiled and ran back to her mother and waved as they walked away.

As usual, Sachi wrapped her arm around Shino's.

"Mirai-chan really seems to like you, Uncle Buggy." Sachi giggled, no longer able to contain her mirth at his nickname.

Shino seemed to deflate slightly. "Do I really look that old?" he wondered aloud.

Sachi patted his shoulder consolingly. "Of course not, Shino-kun. I don't think you look too old at all."

A few seconds passed just before two things happened, Shino realized her joke and Sachi began to laugh, hard.

"You're making fun of me," he said over the sound of her laughter.

"No, no, I'm not," she said between fading giggles. "It's just that 'Uncle Buggy' is hands down the cutest thing I have ever heard," she gushed.

When she finally stopped laughing she could tell he was still in a sour mood. She patted his arm without her previously hidden sarcasm. "You really shouldn't feel bad about it. Kids her age don't have a great concept of numbers yet. Kaito thought 8 came right after 2 for nearly a year."

"Shino-kun," she said seriously, "I know my opinion won't matter much but I'm sure you look very handsome and young."

"Your opinion of me does matter because as my girlfriend, your perception of me matters a great deal."

"If that's the case then you shouldn't worry. All of my senses agree that you are nice."

All of her senses?

"You think I taste nice?" he asked.

"What?" she asked with confusion.

"You said you find me pleasing with all of your senses. That would mean you like the taste of me. Is that correct?"

"Well," she began with a half laugh, "I guess I enjoy it when you kiss me."

"And your sense of smell?"

"Yes, you do smell nice."

"You have already explained you enjoy my voice. But what about your sense of touch?"

"Well, I usually only touch your arm like this," she said indicating her hold on his arm. "That's not really good or bad. I did get to sense you with my chakra."

"You mentioned you wanted to wait until mastering your chakra sense to see what I look like with your hands. Would you like to now?"

"Yes, I would." He took off his glasses and she placed her hands on his cheeks.

"Soft, smooth skin," she said as her hands roamed his face, "a strong jaw, nice nose, soft hair, almost exactly how I thought you were. I didn't think your hair would be so soft. And you definitely don't have wrinkles."

"So you like the way I look?" he asked, replacing his glasses. She smiled.

"From what I can tell, I like it very much."

* * *

I feel bad that I didn't write more about the team meeting her but I don't like to repeat things. If I were to have all of them ask her similar questions to what Shino's mother did then it would get very boring to read. So I'm very sorry, dear readers. You all wanted more interaction between Sachi and the rest of the rookies but I feel I let you down here.


	23. Chapter 23

Are you ready for the good stuff?

* * *

Chapter 23

Those three little words

"Going somewhere with Shino-kun again?" Yuki chirped knowingly.

"Is it that obvious?" she asked.

It was true that Shino had asked her on another date just after she got off work that day. But when she asked him what they were going to do he had only told her it was a surprise.

Yuki preened. "I do have my ways," she boasted.

"Do you know something that I don't?"

Yuki immediately took a turn from confidence to panic. She laughed nervously.

"What- what would give you that idea?"

Sachi knew Yuki was hiding something but she decided to let it go and let her best friend have her fun.

"Shino-kun is picking me up after work. But he wouldn't tell me what we are going to do."

"So he is going to surprise you with something?" Yuki squealed. "What do you think it is?"

"I don't know."

"Oh, come on!" she exclaimed. "Take a guess!"

"I really don't know, Yuki-chan," Sachi reiterated.

Yuki gasped in a lungful of air in surprise and clapped her hands to her cheeks in a sudden epiphany.

"Do you think he is going to pop the question!?" Yuki exclaimed.

"Yuki-chan!" Sachi chided with a more than gentle rap of a book over Yuki's head. "Quit fantasizing about my love life and get your own! We have been over this!"

Yuki was unfazed by her friend's gentle assault and immediately returned to her cocky attitude. "Well, I'm sure whatever it is, you will enjoy it!"

"Do you know what we will be doing?" Sachi accused.

Yuki did another 180 back to nervousness. "Who? Me? No! Of course, I don't know what you will be doing. Why would I? Oh, my! Look at that long line at the register. Gotta go!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So are you going to tell me what this surprise is?" Sachi asked as they made their way to the same pond in the woods.

"Not yet," he answered.

She hummed. "You're being unusually mysterious. What's next? Do I cover my eyes so you can reveal the surprise dramatically?" His breath of amusement made her smile.

They reached the clearing and sat down.

If you wished for such theatrics I'm afraid you will be disappointed. Why? This surprise isn't dramatic. Here." He held out a book for her. She took it and ran her hands over it.

"'The Wizard's Daughter'?" she asked. "Thanks," she said reluctantly. "I've been wanting to read this but I can't." It was unfortunate that the book came highly recommended by her customers but it was neither in Braille or audio book.

"I know," he said. "That's why I plan to read it to you."

A warm fuzzy feeling encompassed her and she resisted the urge to coo over how thoughtful his surprise was.

"How did you know I wanted to read this?"

"This was the first book you recommended to me when I was only looking for an excuse to talk to you."

She could no longer hold herself back and 'aww'ed her appreciation. "Shino-kun, that's so thoughtful!" She held out the book. "Can we start with the description?"

They settled themselves comfortably with Sachi leaning back against his chest and Shino's arm propped upon his bended knee. He turned to the back cover and began to read.

 _"Thirteen generations of Akimoto men were cursed with misfortune. When the 13th child of the 13th man was born with hair and skin fair as the coldest snow, the fates told that only she could lift the family curse. If only she could complete the necessary trials while battling men, monsters and even her own bad luck."_

"Oh!" Sachi cried while clapping her hands excitedly. "This is going to be good!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Shino-kun, does it bother you at all that I'm blind?"

They had just finished the first two chapters of 'The Wizard's Daughter' before it got dark and Shino began to walk her home.

"Not at all," he answered immediately. "Thoughts of your condition go no further than a passing fact. Crickets chirp. The sky is blue. Sachi-chan is blind. My thoughts of you require more profound words and feelings. So much so that 'bothered' is as far from my mind as anything could be. When I think of you Sachi-chan, my thoughts turn to your strength of character, your compassion and kindness, the disappointment that you may never know how beautiful I find you and the unfathomable surprise that a woman so idyllic as you has chosen me."

Sachi's mouth dropped open in surprise. Her skin tingled in the summer air as if the words that touched her so deeply had caressed her every inch before settling in her heart. She was sure the flutterings in her belly were butterflies Shino had put there himself to emphasize his words.

His hand found her cheek and his nimble fingers pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head. She allowed the action without so much as a twitch. When he spoke, his low voice was quiet, striking her like a match and setting her world aflame.

"Perhaps neither of us will fully understand how adverse you are to this when I see the world in your eyes."

She threw herself into his arms, heart swelling against his broad chest. A moan sounded from between their lips as each joined in a kiss, lips fusing together with a fervent, unreserved desire for the other.

Shino's hand ran from the side of her cheek into her hair, accidentally knocking her sunglasses to the ground.

Her hands at his neck kept him from standing up straight to break the kiss but from his hand at her back, pulling her body flush against his, it was clear her had no such intentions.

Never had they kissed with such abandon or unrestrained longing. Sachi pulled her head away from his, gasping to will away the dizziness from the lack of oxygen.

It was this very moment she could define what she felt for Shino. Every moment before was a hopeful and shy 'maybe' or 'someday'. Finally, every fiber of her being agreed.

"Shino-kun," she began breathlessly, "I love you."

He took her lips again with a hungry groan and pulled her impossibly tighter to him. His lips crashed upon her, connecting their bodies deeply and repeatedly like waves of an ocean kissing the sand, slowly and deliberately.

He kissed her repeatedly as if he could ingest her words with enough of them. Or perhaps it was the repeated taste of the words upon her lips that captivated him so.

Sachi knew from his actions more than any amount of words that he felt the same. The fact he had said words so numerous and thoughtful showed even more that he cared enough to show her in every way he was capable.

Shino pulled away before things got out of hand. It hardly helped. Now he could see the flutter of Sachi's eyelids that had nothing to do with her aversion to their visibility. Her sweet breath panted out of swollen lips over his face that was no doubt as flushed as hers.

"I love you, too, Sachi-chan."

His lips kissed her forehead. His reward was a soft, breathy hum from deep in her throat.

Had a more radiant sound ever graced his ear?

He detached from her knowing if he resumed their shared passion he would only make it more difficult to stop himself. He watched her dizzy, almost sleepy smile turn from him as she walked, slightly wobbly into her house.

He watched the door shut behind her with a proud smirk upon his face.

He was the one that caused those feelings.

He had gotten that reaction out of her.

And it was he that she loved.

His gaze fell to the sunglasses at his feet. He pocketed them, hoping she wouldn't miss them and didn't have a spare.

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Please review!


	24. Chapter 24

So I just realized it is a habit of mine to give you something great in the character's relationship and follow it with something horrible and heart wrenching. Have fun with that.

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Chapter 24

day one

Hell in a handbasket

Sachi shot awake in the middle of the night to a frantic buzzing on her forehead.

"Kai-chan? What?"

"Run! To Shino-sama!"

The words were simplistic but they came to Sachi clear as a bell. She tore off the covers and hurried to her shoes.

"No!" Kai-chan corrected abruptly. "Run! Run! Run!"

Abandoning everything in her haste, she took the stairs two at a time, sure that Kai-chan knew something she did not.

She thought something must have been wrong with Shino. She couldn't think of any other reason Kai-chan would hasten her to him. She wrenched open the front door, not even sparing the time to close it properly before tearing out onto the street. She concentrated her chakra straight forward as far as possible to avoid anything in her way as she ran down the street in nothing but her pajamas.

She hadn't run longer than thirty seconds when a hand covered her mouth and an arm pinned her own to her sides. Without warning, she was thrust into the air as they jumped onto the closest rooftop.

She struggled against them and screamed against the hand at her mouth. This person did not feel familiar at all, nor did Kai-chan approve as she buzzed menacingly upon Sachi's forehead, shouting "enemy!" to her mistress.

The person continued to hold her tightly as they leaped atop buildings and far away from her home and Shino.

Sachi screamed and writhed for all she was worth. She had lived her entire life based on what she could feel and hear from her surroundings. From what she found about being carried along in the air at the pace of a ninja, she did not like it!

Suddenly having no connection to anything but air muted every one of her senses. This sensation was nearly as terrifying as the realization that she was being kidnapped.

It was only a few minutes before the kidnapper stopped to recuperate. The second Sachi's feet touched down she struggled twice as hard. The hand over her mouth was removed only to be replaced with a cloth by a second pair of hands, muffling the new scream she had tried to let out.

Kai-chan couldn't stop buzzing through her mistress's terror. The insect had only just decided the smarter action would be to stay with Sachi for tracking purposes when the tiny insect was grabbed and thrust into a glass jar.

Sachi screamed at the loss, a tone of desperation coming in the form of sobs for the fear she held for her companion.

"What the hell are you doing?" the man holding Sachi hissed as he pulled her hands behind her back and made quick work of tying them.

"What?" the second man asked. "You really expect us to just kill this thing?" Sachi sobbed harder through her gag. "We could bring it with us to study it. Imagine what we could learn from a single kikai."

"Don't be an idiot. You heard the order. That's a female you've got there. The Aburame can follow female kikai indefinitely."

"You want me to just kill it then?"

"Nah, just drop it. It'll die soon enough without chakra."

Sachi screamed yet again as she heard the glass jar slip from his fingers. She stepped forward hoping to smash the glass with her foot when suddenly there was no ground beneath her feet.

When they had set her down upon a rough surface she had suspected it was a rough earthy floor that dug into her feet. Only now did she recognize the surface as tree bark. She had been standing on a large tree branch when she had accidentally jumped off.

An arm caught her roughly around the middle and she was thrown over a shoulder.

"What the hell? Is she suicidal or something?" the second man intoned.

"She's blind, what do you expect? She can't see anything. Just hurry up with that stuff."

"I'm working on it!"

Sachi didn't have to question what stuff they referred to for long as just a few seconds later a needle plunged into her arm and she passed out over the shoulder of her kidnapper.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kai-chan heard her mistress's screams and cries from inside the jar she was in. The horror Sachi felt when they were separated drove Kai-chan to beat her wings and ram her body against the glass with tiny pings. Escape was the only way to help her mistress.

The jar plunged to the ground.

The mistress's distress mimicked her own as she saw the woman plunge towards the ground. The jar Kai-chan was in continued to drop while Sachi was caught uttering a final scream through the gag just before she was drugged.

The jar hit a rock on the earth floor and smashed open. Kai-chan wiggled her legs to right herself in the debris. She hurried to extricate herself from the broken glass. Even at this distance, she could sense her mistress's fear abate as she slipped into drug-induced unconsciousness. She flew after the shinobi carrying the sleeping red head and chirped forlornly when she realized she would never catch up.

She flew off in the opposite direction to a place all kikai would know by instinct alone. Scurrying her way into the house she buzzed loudly to alert her young and former master.

Master Shino sat up in bed as she rushed out her information.

"The mistress Sachi has been taken by the Kamizuru clan. 20 minutes have elapsed since her capture."

Shino shot out of bed in a panic, hurrying to write several notes and sending them off to his teammates and the Hokage with a dozen kikai to alert them of the situation. He sent another kikai to inform his father for the same reason. If they were truly up against the Kamizuru then his father's help would be invaluable.

Kai-chan rested herself discontentedly in Shino's hair as he dressed in a flurry of movement.

Sachi had been taken by their rival clan of insect users. A clan he knew was in dire need of numbers, even more than the Aburame clan. There was no doubt in Shino's mind why she had been taken. With her strong connections to all insects, they would hope to use her to repopulate their minuscule clan. Shino gritted his teeth. He wouldn't just stand by as his Sachi was taken. He wouldn't let the Kamizuru keep her or force her into anything as distasteful as becoming a breeding slave.

He leaped from his house, taking to the rooftops towards her home, quickly finding himself within her empty room after letting himself in through the window. It didn't seem like a struggle took place in her room. Yet, the only evidence that she had been here being the hastily thrown back bed covers. Everything from her cane, hat, and shoes remained in the room. He cast his eyes around for another common item, only to remember her glasses remained in his pocket from when he picked them up on the street after their kiss. He pulled them from his jacket and scowled down at the lenses.

He pocketed them again, refocusing on his task. Finding a laundry hamper in the corner he pulled off the top garment, the shirt she had worn just hours ago.

If they would be tracking her the best way would be using Kiba and Akamaru's sense of smell. He lifted it to his own nose, wanting to ensure it smelled strongly of Sachi. A powerful wave of loss crept over Shino as he took in the feminine smell of vanilla and paper. His hand clenched tightly in the shirt and he promised himself he would get her back.

As he exited the home his kikai returned to him, ensuring him that all messages had been delivered.

Less than five minutes later found Shino, Shibi, Hinata, Kiba and Akamaru within the Hokage's office in front of the bedraggled silver-haired Hokage.

"So what's this emergency?" Kakashi questioned from behind his desk, a hand holding up his face that looked intensely tired.

"A civilian, Sachi Hara, was kidnapped by members of the Kamizuru clan 33 minutes ago," Shino answered. Hinata gasped and the remaining two men turned surprised gazes to Shino. "I'm requesting permission to take this team to find and return her immediately."

"I assume you have solid proof of the kidnapping. Who exactly is it that was taken and what else do we know?"

"Sachi-chan is my girlfriend. She was likely taken by the Kamizuru because of her strong affiliation with insects. Which makes her a prime candidate to become a breeding slave for their small clan as well as revenge upon the Aburame clan." His hands were clenched tightly at his sides. "As for our knowledge of the event, Sachi-chan possesses a kikai she refers to as Kai-chan, which was separated from her upon her kidnapping and has relayed the events of the night to me. Kai-chan sensed danger and made Sachi-chan run to the safety of the Aburame compound. However, in the attempt, she was taken and by two Kamizuru to the outskirts of the village where she was bound, drugged and separated from Kai-chan. I have checked her home and confirmed that Sachi-chan has disappeared."

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised at how quickly you responded, given all the facts. You have already gathered more than enough information to convince me and even assembled a team," Kakashi mused. "Alright, retrieval mission. Shibi-san is the team leader. If there is nothing else you are dismissed immediately."

The team left the Hokage just as he began to grumble about going back to bed.

"We will start from the last place Kai-chan saw Sachi-san," Shibi said.

Shino nodded and took the forefront of the team, leading them according to Kai-chan's directions.

"Shino-kun?" Hinata asked. "Do you really think they took Sachi-chan for more than revenge on your clan?"

"Yes. It's clear she would mix well with any clan of insect users."

"So what?" Kiba interrupted. "They kidnap her and repopulate? Seems a bit desperate to me."

"Since our last encounter with the Kamizuru while we searched for the Bikochu they have become increasingly desperate. Their numbers have dwindled over the years and they have more than enough reason to steal her away from us and use her for their own means."

Kai-chan flew from Shino to the ground and flew in circles around a broken jar on the forest floor.

"This was the last place Kai-chan saw her," Shino said.

"Kiba, it's up to you to track her from here," Shibi stated.

"Sure," Kiba responded. "Hey, Shino, you got anything with Sachi-chan's scent?"

Shino retrieved her shirt and handed it to the Inuzuka to refresh his memory.

"Always one step ahead, hmm?" He buried his nose in it, inhaling a few times before bending to let Akamaru sniff the garment as well. The pair sniffed at the air a moment. "Yeah, she was definitely here not too long ago. About the same time as two unfamiliar scents." With one last sniff and a bark from Akamaru, they took off towards the south.

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I do love a story with a good roller coaster of emotions. Don't you?


	25. Chapter 25

We will be bouncing around perspectives for a few chapters but I've kept everything in chronological order. That way there is less confusion. Each day is also numbered to help keep the time line straight in your minds as the chapters go along.

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Chapter 25

Gut Feeling

day one

Noriko never failed to rise with the sun every day. But on this particular day, she had woken several hours earlier than usual with a general sense that something wasn't right.

She had attempted to calm herself, insisting it was nothing but a forgotten dream. But after an hour she had given up and rose for a quiet cup of tea.

Upon entering the kitchen her previous frown returned. The front door was open. She shuffled over to close it insisting again that this must have been the cause of her bad feeling. Heaven only knew if a nocturnal creature could have wandered into her kitchen for a meal.

But despite her self-assurances, there was still a weight in her gut that insisted something was not as it should be. She pushed it to the back of her mind with difficulty and went about making breakfast.

"Good morning, Kaachan," Kaito greeted sometime later.

"Morning, dear," she returned as her husband shuffled into the kitchen. "Kaito, were you the last one in last night?"

"I think so. Yuuki-kun and I were catching up on his homework, he was sick all last week."

"Did you shut the door when you came in?"

"Yeah," he asked dubiously. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Someone must have left it open." She set down plates in front of her boys. "I found it wide open when I came down."

Aoi looked around the room with his tired eyes. "Doesn't look like anyone broke in to steal anything. Even so, they would be terrible robbers if they made it obvious by leaving the door open."

Noriko hummed thoughtfully. "Where is Sachi? She'll be late if she sleeps in anymore." She ascended the stairs and seeing the bathroom was unoccupied continued to her daughter's room.

The door was ajar. Sachi never liked to leave her door open. What had begun as a necessary precaution to keep an infant Kaito from entering her room had turned into a longstanding habit.

The weight in Noriko's stomach grew heavier when she saw her daughter was nowhere to be found. The bed was unmade and all of Sachi's possessions remained exactly where she kept them.

Noriko had been downstairs for the better part of the morning. For Sachi to have left she would have had to leave the house in the middle of the night. She descended the stairs quickly.

"Has Sachi mentioned anything about her plans for the day?" Noriko said rapidly.

Both sets of eyes looked at her curiously.

"I don't think so," Aoi answered. "Why?"

"She's not in her room."

Aoi grunted and bit into his toast. "She's probably off with that boyfriend of hers."

Noriko wrung her hands. There was no point sharing her worry if she was wrong.

"Right, of course. You two best be off. You'll be late for school and work if you don't hurry."

Noriko was not about to give up until she was sure the circumstances that morning were nothing. Not long after Aoi and Kaito left she hurried outside to check the bookstore and found it bereft of her daughter. With increasing worry she hastened down to the Aburame compound and was granted access by a less than friendly gate guard.

She followed his directions to Shino's home and quickly found herself knocking on the door.

She was met with the sight of a tall, willowy woman that couldn't be far from her own age.

"Hello, can I help you?"

"Is this the home of Shino Aburame?"

"Yes, it is. I'm Youko, Shino's mother."

"Lovely to meet you Aburame-san. I'm Noriko Hara, Sachi's mother."

The woman's countenance instantly fell.

"I was wondering if you knew where my daughter was? I thought perhaps Shino-kun would know."

"Please come in, Hara-san."

Noriko was ushered to the sitting room, her worry increasing with every second she didn't receive an answer.

"Please, if you know something..." Noriko said as she sat down.

"Hara-san, I'm sorry to tell you this but your daughter has been kidnapped."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kiba and Akamaru had tracked the scent for several hours that morning when they stopped at a clearing.

"They stopped here," Kiba said, sniffing the air. "But the scent doesn't lead on. I don't think they doubled back to trick us. We didn't smell it going in any other direction."

"Their tracks don't lead back into the trees," Hinata observed.

"They would have flown from here," Shibi intoned.

"They are trying to throw us off," Shino said. "If they had the ability to fly away then they would have done it immediately. They could travel faster and without direction."

"The scent is real enough," Kiba said. "She had to pass right through here."

Shibi nodded. "They are trying to lead us away from their destination. They wanted us to go in the wrong direction. We will have to start our search at the Kamizuru's home in Iwa."

They immediately jumped into the trees heading back the way they came.

A malicious killing intent rolled off Shino in waves that each of the members of the team could feel permeating their skin like a chill up their spine. They traveled for the remaining morning and long into the evening. The sun was close to setting before Shibi called an end to their day.

The three people that knew Shino best could tell he was far from being comfortable in the quiet of their camp. He had barely touched his food and continued to huff forlornly each time his thoughts brought him to a place they shouldn't be.

Hinata's gentle hand covered his shoulder.

"We will do our best to find her, Shino-kun."

"Yeah, it's not like they are going to kill her. They need her alive," Kiba added.

A near tangible wave of thought passed through the camp illustrating exactly what the Kamizuru needed from Sachi, a visual none wanted or needed, least of all Shino.

Kiba paused in his chewing as Shino's gaze pinned him on the log he sat on. He gulped down the food audibly and grimaced.

"Sorry."

"We should be in Iwa in two days," Hinata continued. "Try to get some rest tonight. Worrying won't help Sachi-chan now."

He nodded reluctantly. Hinata squeezed his shoulder once and left to rest.

Shino followed suit feeling as if rest was pointless. His mind alternated between graphic visuals of what Sachi could be going through right now and imagining what life would be like without her.

Neither allowed him much rest.

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Please don't forget to review.


	26. Chapter 26

An early update for you because I have the day off.

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Chapter 26

Know the score

day one

Aoi Hara had gotten through his workday just like any other. He had been quite busy overseeing the expansion of a new housing district.

The elders had seen enough war to know that there would be an inevitable baby boom in the coming years and had hired Aoi, among many others, to plan for the expansion of the population.

Aoi had not concerned himself with the whereabouts of Sachi that morning. His darling daughter was a good girl and despite his dislike for her boyfriend, he was confident that nothing untoward would happen. The boy did not seem dishonorable and he trusted his daughter to know what she did and didn't want.

It was only after he entered his home, put away his shoes and lunch bag that he noticed sniffling sounds coming from within the kitchen.

His wife sat at the table with what appeared to be half a box of used tissues piling up at the table.

"Noriko? Dear, what's wrong?" He strode over to her and rubbed small circles on her back with his large hand, awaiting an answer.

Apparently, even the thought of what was wrong caused Noriko's sobs to double in intensity.

"Hara-san."

Aoi looked over to realize another person sat at his table next to Norkio.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"Youko Aburame, Shino's mother. I'm afraid I have bad news. Sachi-chan has been kidnapped."

The force of a hurricane couldn't have beat the breath from his lungs faster than that statement.

Sachi? His Sachi? His daughter, his baby girl?

"Is she okay?" he asked breathlessly. Panic and worry began to creep into his voice. "Is she hurt? What happened? Did they contact us yet? What do they want? Money? Has the village sent anyone to find her?"

"Hara-san, please," Youko said with almost infuriating patience. "My husband and son have assembled a team and they are already out looking for her. There is no one more capable for this mission."

"Why would anyone take Sachi?"

"I can't say for certain."

"But you have some idea, don't you?" he pleaded.

"What happened?" Everyone looked to the entrance of the kitchen to see Kaito, standing with wide eyes as he held his school bag over one shoulder. Aoi took a deep breath and motioned his son forward.

"Kaito, take your mother up to bed, please. She needs some rest. I'll tell you everything when I'm done talking with Aburame-san." He waved his hand towards Youko.

"Did something happen?" Kaito asked, putting his bag down on the table.

Aoi nodded gravely. "I'll come get you. For now," he helped Noriko out of her chair and watched as his son escorted his distraught mother upstairs.

"Hara-san," Youko said delicately. He looked back to her with a shuddering breath and a pain in his chest. "You will want to sit down for this."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Yuki drummed her fingernails impatiently on the register's counter. Only a few minutes ago she had been positively buzzing with excitement. She had been the one to sell Shino the book he was to be reading to Sachi on their date last night. She swore herself to secrecy, afraid she would ruin the surprise. She had been overcome with giggles and squeals all night, looking forward to the details she would extract from Sachi when they worked today.

But now as she stared at the clock it continued to tick second after second, minute after minute, indicating Sachi was late.

And Sachi was never late. She was always painfully on time whereas, Yuki was more likely to burst through the doors in a whirlwind, seconds before her shift after having gotten distracted by some cute animal on her way.

Yuki could only imagine Sachi's last night with Shino had something to do with her being late.

She imagined them laid out on a blanket. Covered with nothing but a sheet in the privacy of a secret flower infused meadow.

 _"Sachi-chan," Shino would purr in his husky voice, "you are my life." No doubt they would be tangled close together covered in sweat from activities that had nothing to do with the book they intended to read._

 _"Shino-_ kun _!" Sachi would blush and clutch her cheeks to hide it and cool her rapidly heating face. Her shining silvery eyes would flutter flirtatiously. Shino would run her hands through her hair and pull her closer._

 _"Your eyes are like earthbound clouds," he would whisper in her ear._

 _Sachi would hide her face and close her eyes. "You're making me blush!" she would protest without conviction._

 _He would pull her face up to meet his and look deep into her silver eyes._

 _"Let me taste my name on your lips, Sachi-chan."_

 _Sachi would gasp and whisper, ever so softly, "Shino-_ kun _."_

"Yuki-chan?"

She snapped out of her perverse imagination and felt her face turn red when she was met with the sight of her boss.

"Uh, yes, boss?"

"Have you heard from Sachi-chan today? It's not like her to be late."

"I don't know why she isn't here. Noriko-san came in looking for her earlier." The older man scratched through his thinning hair and cast his eyes around the shelves.

"Well," he sighed tiredly, "we'll make it without her today."

Yuki nodded. The bookshelves were fairly well stocked. Being shorthanded for one day wouldn't hurt business. "I'm going to see what's wrong when I get off work."

True to her word, Yuki was knocking on the door of the Hara household several hours later in the late afternoon. She bounced on her toes impatiently waiting for someone, hopefully, Sachi, to open the door. Rather than the only female redhead of the household, she was greeted with the man of the house.

Her jaw snapped shut and her smile disappeared when she saw the man so bedraggled.

His eyes seemed blank and gaunt. His usually tanned skin seemed suddenly paler and the thinning hair atop his head appeared disheveled by too many times he ran his hands through it.

Aoi should have expected to see Yuki. His daughter's best friend would no doubt be worried about her unexplained absence.

"Aoi-san?" she finally managed to say. "Is something wrong? Is- Is something wrong with Sachi-chan?"

Aoi heaved a great sigh and stood aside. "You should come in Yuki-chan." He waved her inside.

The scene she entered upon was considerably more distressing. Kaito barely noticed her presence, only staring blankly at the floor after a cursory glance at her entrance.

Yuki gasped at seeing Noriko more unkempt than she had ever been before. Her usually carefully maintained clothes looked as if she had been wearing the same pair of pajamas all day and her hair was spilling down her back in nothing that resembled it's usual coiffed up-do.

Yuki stole to her side, seeking to comfort the woman she had always seen as a second mother.

"What happened?" she asked, pulling Noriko into a comforting hug.

Aoi sat and sighed heavily once again, something she could tell was becoming a predictable pattern before he answered questions about his daughter.

"Yuki-chan," he began in a tired voice, he cleared his throat, "Sachi has been kidnapped."

* * *

Yuki is fun to write and she gives me the opportunity to give you that scene. It was fun and I felt I couldn't keep it out of the story. I hope you enjoyed it and got a few laughs out of it.


	27. Chapter 27

And finally, the antagonist makes his appearance!

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Chapter 27

The barefaced liar

Day 2

The instant Sachi awoke she bolted up from the bed. She recalled what happened and knew in an instant that this was not her bed. It was far too soft and fluffy like it was made entirely of goose down.

She knew she had been kidnapped but she had no idea where she was now.

She assumed prisoners would be held in some cold dungeon in chains not completely unrestrained in a soft feather bed.

"I am glad to see you are awake."

Sachi turned her ear to the soft female voice in the room.

"Where am I? Who are you?"

The woman stood and did not answer. She slid open a door and spoke. "She's awake. Alert the master."

The door closed and the woman approached Sachi again.

"My name is Kimiko. I'm here to take care of you."

"Take care of me how?"

"I am here to see to any of your needs. Feed you, bathe you, change you, whatever you require. Is there anything I can do for you?"

The woman, Kimiko, had a soft voice. Gentle and kind like a mother whispering to her child. It was this calm that induced a minute amount of hope in Sachi.

"You could let me go home."

The door slid open again allowing a second voice to interrupt.

"You are home dear Sachi-chan. This is where you belong."

This man's voice was confident and falsely cheerful. She took an instant dislike to it for the words he spoke.

"What do you want with me? Who are you?"

"Pardon my rudeness," the man said in a sickly sweet tone. "I am Hiro Kamizuru and what I want is for you to feel at home here. You aren't a prisoner. Here you are family." His hand came up to pet her head. She shied away, shaking her head to remove it. "Kimiko-chan will take good care of you. I'd like you to get cleaned up and dressed. And I will show you around your home when you're done. Kimiko-chan?"

"Of course," the woman answered immediately.

"I will leave you in Kimiko-chan's capable hands. Send for me when you are done."

Hiro left. Kimiko's delicate hands found her shoulders and Sachi jumped.

Kimiko apologized genuinely. "I'm sorry. I'm just going to lead you to the bath."

Sachi frowned as the woman pulled her along but she said nothing. It seemed they wanted to treat her well and Sachi didn't have the bravado to back talk and risk worse treatment.

She wasn't a shinobi, she couldn't handle pain like they could. If accepting their hospitality meant she was treated well she wouldn't fight even if it came with a blow to her pride.

She allowed Kimiko to bathe, dress and even put makeup on her. She didn't bother with the stuff herself and now that it was suffocating her face she could see she wasn't missing anything.

Kimiko prattled on about how excellent life was here and how much Sachi would like it. Sachi could barely hear her over the sound of her own thoughts.

She worried about Kai-chan possibly dying in the forest. She wondered how long it would take before anyone realized she was gone. Her family would know things were amiss when they saw all of her things still in her room. But they may not suspect anything until she didn't return from her usual schedule of work and seeing Shino.

Shino.

How long would it take him to realize?

He usually waited for her at the bookstore. Would he assume he missed her or she was absent from work for any number of reasons and see nothing amiss till days later?

She had no idea why she was taken let alone when someone might start looking for her.

Kimiko had ushered her back to the room where she sent for Hiro again.

"You look lovely Sachi-chan! As promised I am here to take you on a walk through the gardens of your new home."

He grabbed Sachi's hand in his and snaked his other arm around her waist, pulling her along with him.

She grit her teeth.

Did they think she was incapable of a single step without assistance? Even without a cane, Kai-chan or her chakra sense she could still find her way around a room.

"The Kamizuru," he began as they strolled around the gardens, "is a small clan of bee users. This land is new to our family but it suits us well enough. It's a small compound still large enough for our clan to grow into." He began to describe the gardens for her all while she remained tight-lipped and compliant. Sachi understood from his explanation that the gardens were the center of the compound with buildings surrounding the whole area. The gardens themselves held a diverse compilation of flora, no doubt helped by a large amount of bees the clan had buzzing around the area.

"You can speak up," he chuckled at her. "No need to be shy. Tell me what you think."

"I'm sure it's just as beautiful as you say," she said unenthusiastically.

Hiro placed a flower stem into her hand. "A beautiful rose for a woman far lovelier than an entire garden."

She sniffed it. It seemed to burn her nose with its sweet odor. She thought it a fitting comparison to his sickly sweet voice. Both suddenly far too much for her liking. She wasn't one to be wooed by a single cheesy one-liner. Her heart belonged to Shino and that is where it would stay.

"You don't need to be so shy," he reminded. "I want you to feel comfortable here. You can ask for anything."

Sachi gulped and stole herself for every ounce of bravado she possessed.

"Can I go home?" She asked timidly.

Obviously, the ninja career was not for her.

Hiro laughed good-humouredly as if she told a joke.

"Oh, Sachi-chan," he pulled her along with him again, "you are home."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hiro walked her in back talk the gardens telling her the history of the Kamizuru clan. He highlighted the impressive points and stories without any feedback from her whatsoever.

He bored her long into the night until dinner where she ate while he highlighted all the grievous crimes the Aburame had done against the Kamizuru.

Sachi wasn't an uneducated idiot. The Kamizuru had been a footnote in Konoha history, where the Aburame prevented the Kamizuru from attacking Konoha as, it seemed, the best way to fight insects was with other insects.

Hiro had permitted her to retire after dinner. Kimiko escorted her back to the room she had woken up in, passing a guard at the door.

After aiding Sachi in washing off her makeup and dressing her for bed Kimiko spoke.

"If you need anything at all I will be just next door to the right. The guard outside will protect you and help you to my room if you need me. I will be here tomorrow morning when you wake up."

Kimiko left Sachi alone with a multitude of thoughts and questions.

She obviously wasn't going to be able to sleep so she shuffled herself around the room.

She wasn't sure if it was wise to let the Kamizuru know she could make it around with the use of chakra. If it happened that the bees were attracted to her as well...

Well, she really didn't think it would be pleasant to be covered by chakra eating killer bees.

Instead, she had to resort to a very child-like shuffling while holding her arms out and began to discover her current living quarters. The bed and door were at opposite ends. The wall and door were wood and paper in traditional shoji style.

Closet doors adorned the left wall while a bookshelf stocked, surprisingly, with braille books, sat on the opposite wall.

Braille books were not a common household object. If they had gone to the trouble of buying the books that must have meant they had planned her kidnapping long ago.

They also seemed to want her comfortable for some reason. But she still couldn't figure out why.

She eventually tired from exploring and laid in bed listening to the buzzing of the Kamizuru's bees and hoped someone would come for her soon.

* * *

Are you enjoying the roller coaster I made for you? Is the antagonist living up to your expectations?


	28. Chapter 28

Another chapter for you lovely readers!

* * *

Chapter 28

A light bulb moment

Day 3

The following day was much like the last for Sachi.

She woke in a strange place to people that took excellent care of her. She politely asked to go home and was rebuffed and she was lead around by the hand like a toddler exactly the way she disliked.

She couldn't figure out what her purpose was in being there. She wasn't an important citizen. Holding her for ransom wouldn't get much and there was no reason to treat a hostage with such care.

Frankly, she was too scared to ask what they wanted. She chose to hold to the adage that ignorance was bliss.

If no one else, her parents must have noticed her absence by now. She held onto the hope that someone would come for her. Perhaps someone was out already. Perhaps they found Kai-chan and she was still alive.

It was these optimistic thoughts that kept her going.

"Sachi-chan, you look as lovely as ever."

Her thoughts were broken by Hiro just after breakfast.

"Thank you," she muttered without conviction.

"Would you like to take a walk with me?"

She didn't think there was really an option to say no. So far this life seemed to just be going along with what they wanted. She stood wordlessly and bit back her temper when Hiro linked their arms and led her away.

It was only the fear of what they might do to her that kept her compliant. That and they hadn't given her any means to find her way around. She sighed and let him pull her along, regaling her with another story about some great-great-grandfather doing something of note.

Hiro made a poor guide. He failed to slow properly at steps or obstacles causing her to jolt to a halt when he would stop suddenly. He didn't think to warn her in any way of steps before she was stumbling or bumping into them.

It made her seem far more helpless than she truly was. If only they would provide her with a cane. She sighed.

"Is something wrong, Sachi-chan?"

"No, it's nothing."

"You can tell me, you know. We are family, here. I want to know you are comfortable. What's bothering you?"

"If I- If you would let me have a cane I could make it around myself."

"I see." Sachi sensed another blind faux pas moment as he paused to recover. "You wish to have a little more freedom. That can be easily arranged. In fact, I have a gift for you that I think will solve your problem. Hold out your hands."

She cupped her hands obligingly, hoping to feel the cool metal of a cane. A buzzing was the only warning before a large six-legged thing was deposited into her hands.

"This is one of the Kamizuru's insects, the killer bee."

She recoiled, wishing it would leave her. She knew how much a bee sting could hurt and she wasn't eager to be stung by one labeled as a 'killer'.

"I know it's new," Hiro said taking her apprehensive shifting as mere unfamiliarity. "But I know this is something you are familiar with. I am giving you this particular insect as a gift. This is so you can find your way around. It's also a gift to show how much I care about you Sachi-chan. You could even name it if you'd like, like Bee-sama."

Sachi immediately thought that name was ridiculous. Of course, she couldn't name it Bee-sama!

The bee flew up and perched itself on her head like the kikai had done before.

"You are very special, Sachi-chan. I wouldn't give this to just anyone."

"Why me then?"

"Because I know you need it. It will help you get around; be your eyes for you."

"I understand that but why am I here? Why can't I go home?" She was quickly losing what little nerve she had and her voice turned to a nearly inaudible whisper. "Do you want to hurt me?"

"Of course not! We don't want to hurt you Sachi-chan! Have we ever given you a reason to think we did? Have we been anything but kind and giving since you arrived?"

"Well, no, but-"

"Exactly. We will take care of you. Don't worry about that. I hope we can put this behind us and never bring up such awful topics again. If you will excuse me I have things to attend to. I will leave you in Bee-sama's care. You should take this time to get to know it."

He left abruptly and in a manner anyone would consider rude.

At this point, Sachi knew several things.

One, whatever they wanted her for they had planned carefully but they didn't want to tell her.

Two, there was no way she was calling this thing 'Bee-sama'. For Hiro to suggest such a thing showed his arrogance. There was no way her kidnapper's insects could garner more respectful honorifics than her beloved Kai-san and Kai-chan.

The last thing she knew was she had to get back home to her family and Shino.

"Sachi-chan would you like to go back to your room?" Kimiko appeared and asked.

She considered her options for a moment and agreed, allowing Kimiko to lead her away.

"Kimiko-chan, please, can you tell me why I'm here?"

"You mean Hiro didn't tell you? The Kamizuru clan only has a few members left. If there is any hope of continuing with the family jutzu they must repopulate. You and I are the first women he chose to help him with this."

"What?" Sachi choked out. "Excuse me? What?" She didn't even know where to begin asking questions. "He thinks it's okay to just kidnap women whenever he likes?"

"No!" Kimiko interrupted quickly. "He's not kidnaping anyone. We have been chosen for this Sachi-chan. Women like you and I can mix well in the Kamizuru clan. The clan needs strong, capable women like us. We hold so much potential, especially you Sachi-chan. Your children will be strong Kamizuru leaders one day."

"The hell they will!" Sachi shouted, wrenching herself from Kimiko's grasp as they entered her room. "I'd rather die than be forced into this plan!"

"Sachi-chan, really, it's alright. You'll understand one day. I didn't think much of it when I first arrived either. But you'll realize what an honor it is."

"Being raped is not an honor!" she shouted.

"It won't be like that! Hiro is really very gentle."

Sachi was immediately taken aback. "You- Already?"

"Yes. I'm already 8 weeks pregnant."

Sachi shivered intensely. Was she really expected to become like Kimiko, a submissive, brainwashed baby factory?

She had wondered why they were treating her so well. Now she knew why. She had been made to take supplements at each meal, only now did she realize they were readying her body for-

She couldn't even think it.

Kimiko left her with more polite assurances.

Sachi breathed fast and hard and began pacing like an animal in a cage, she was little more than one now. She raged, swore and threw herself about the room violently and kicked the frame of her bed. She screamed in rage more than pain as she clutched her foot.

This situation was unacceptable! Being the unwilling mistress of her captor, she would not have it! And she wouldn't be monitored by the insect-spy they had left with her.

Though the so-called Bee-sama might have had the uses they stated, she doubted the insect was loyal to her. She stormed over to the vanity and tapped a fingernail harshly upon the wooden surface.

"Sit!" she commanded, drawing upon every ounce of authority that might have existed between herself and the bee. The bee gave a disgruntled buzz but obliged all the same.

"Stay!" she commanded again.

She stalked over to the bed and flopped down with her arms folded tightly like a petulant child.

The door opened and she knew it was her least favorite person in the world that entered.

"Sachi-chan- wait, where is Bee-sama?"

Sachi stood abruptly and stalked over to Hiro. Now that she knew what she was here for she would not be so nice.

"I don't want it. Take it back. I want to go home to my real home!"

Hiro sighed. "Kimiko-chan said she told you our plans. I was planning to tell you myself later. Perhaps it would be better if I explain. There are seven Kamizuru clan members left in the world. Two are too old for children anymore. The duty of expanding our clan falls to the other five, especially me as I am the strongest. If we don't repopulate our clan soon we will all die. And you, Sachi-chan, your connection with insects is unlike anything we have seen. You attract them to you like a magnet. There can be no doubt that your genes would mix well in our clan. Rather than weakening the bloodline with common, non-clan members, we believe you could strengthen it just as well as the best of us shinobi. I know it doesn't seem like it now but you will understand someday."

"Don't treat me like a child!" she raged. "Like I will understand when I get older. What you want is for me to be a martyr for your damn cause. You act like I'll just magically accept if enough time passes. You are so deluded like you imagine I haven't been kidnapped and held against my will. I won't ever agree to this!" she screamed. "I will not be some baby factory for you or anyone for that matter. I would rather die!"

It seemed Hiro was trying to contain his own outburst and sighed heavily. When he spoke his voice was harsh and cold.

"I've given you everything you could want and you throw it back in my face. Consider this your only warning."

In an instant, her back was pressed against his chest by one strong arm as his other hand covered her mouth. He bit into the flesh of her neck making her scream against his hand. He then licked her neck in the most nauseatingly repelling way she could think of.

"I have been nothing but nice to you," he whispered, his foul breath ghosting over her skin, raising unpleasant goosebumps and making her whimper," just think about what your punishment could be next time you feel like screaming in my face." She could hear his words coming through a smirk. "As long as you behave I'll be nice. And, trust me, when the time comes you will be begging me to take you. Now," he returned to his lighthearted air, "I have to go scout for more women like you. Behave yourself while I'm gone. I'll be back tomorrow to spend more time with you."

He placed one lingering kiss against her neck before disappearing out the door.

She dived under the blankets of her borrowed bed when he left, seeking comfort in their stifling layers. She curled the blankets around her trying to shut out the world like a child afraid of a storm just as sobs began to tear through her.

She didn't want to live this way. Why, she thought, did the world have to be cruel?

She sobbed and shouted, crying out her anguish till her eyes felt puffy and tired.

She wished she was capable of saving herself, running and fighting her way back to Konoha. But she surely couldn't fight and she had no idea where she was.

But, really, what was she capable of, sensing objects a few feet in front of her? That could only get her lost somewhere and with her luck, she would probably end up in the woods far away from anyone that could help her.

If only she could send a message to Shino. He could help her.

Not for the first or last time she lamented the loss of Kai-chan. Shino could have followed the little insect's scent straight to Sachi.

But if she could call insects to her, undetected, she might be able to send a message!

She shot off the bed as soon as the idea formed in her head. She could call countless insects to her just by letting her chakra flow out as it always had.

She knew Shino could use insects to gather information, which meant they must have been capable of understanding human speech or at least relaying what they saw to an insect master.

If she could attract insects to her and send a message out then surely they could find an Aburame to relay the message, right? Maybe she could get lucky and they were near Konoha or Shino was already looking for her.

Before that, first things first.

She quickly upended the wastebasket and trapped the bee underneath, leaving a book overtop for good measure. The unhappy insect threw it's body at the barrier fruitlessly.

Sachi squatted on the floor next to the shoji wall and listened to the guard outside. He still hadn't moved, taking it as a good sign she poked a small hole in the paper with her finger. With that done she released her hold on her chakra, letting it loose the way it always had.

Before she had met Shino her chakra was nothing special to humans or most insects but parasitic ones, that was a different story. She had always had an unnatural attractive quality to any insect that wanted to make a meal out of her and she was counting on that now.

It was just a strange coincidence that hiding her chakra made her less noticeable to paracytic insects that did not feed off of chakra.

It took several minutes before the first mosquito made it to her, using her chakra sense she captured the insect in her hands.

"Hey, you," she whispered, "you may or may not understand me but I've got a deal to make. You go ahead and drink my blood but you have to get a message out. You fly out, find the beetle users, the Aburame and lead them here. Tell them the Kamizuru have me, Sachi Hara, and to hurry. Tell nothing to the bee users. Now, flap your wings once for yes and twice for no. Do you understand?"

She sensed the wings lift once and she sighed in relief.

"Well, then, get on with it."

She released the mosquito letting it use her as a meal before it left. Sachi sat for the rest of the day sending the same message out with each insect that came to dine on her until her arms and legs were riddled with bites.

* * *

I'm thinking of doing an epilogue based on what you readers want to see. This will be something extra as a thank you for all of your responses. So please review or PM with ideas of what you would like to read about in Sachi and Shino's life.


	29. Chapter 29

Things are moving along and I am considering each of your suggestions as you send them in.

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Chapter 29

coming to grips

day 4

They had managed to make it to the border of Iwa just last night and they had rested for the night before advancing on the Kamizuru family grounds.

"No one is inside," Hinata said after a thorough look from her byakugan.

They moved inside carefully, wary of any traps they might encounter. The whole compound was deserted like a desolate ghost town, completely devoid of furniture or furnishings of any kind.

"Where are they?" Kiba asked. "Why would a clan move from it's grounds? And how? You can't just move a whole clan."

"Not without being noticed," Shibi interjected. "Let's ask around the village. Meet back here in an hour."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

An hour later they had all returned with varying degrees of success.

"Did you find anything?" Shino asked as Kiba approached.

"Nah," Kiba said with a shrug, "just a bunch of gossip. They aren't fond of insect users here."

"I think they moved to Ishigakure," Hinata stated.

"Ishigakure? Why would they move to a new country?" Kiba questioned.

"Their clan is small," Shino said. "It's why they have become so desperate. They haven't been highly respected since the last war and after their failure with the bikochu, it seems they lost what little respect they still had and were forced from their family home. There is less than a dozen in the clan now."

"If we hurry we can get to the border by tonight. We will have the kikai search the area for their new residence while we rest."

With a solid lead in sight, they hurried to the next border, already aware that Sachi had been in the clutches of the Kamizuru clan for four days.

They were a few hours away from Ishigakure when they stopped for the night. Shino and Shibi sent several groups of kikai out to search the surrounding area for the Kamizuru.

Even knowing the kikai were searching didn't help Shino's nerves. He still couldn't rest adequately. He had never felt such a lack of control over the situation or himself.

He stared at Kai-chan on his finger as she chirped somberly. It was strange how strong their bond was; how one tiny insect could mean so much to her.

Sachi was all the things Shino dared to hope for in a life partner and more. He never imagined himself with such a vibrant and perceptive woman as Sachi.

He had loved her much longer than he realized and he believed the same of Sachi.

She had been the first to initiate contact with him, verbally, physically and emotionally. The first time she had willingly touched him he had been shocked to see her unrestrained advances despite knowing of the kikai. Her continuance to touch him in any situation shattered the belief that none could get past his usage of insects. And when she said 'I love you', that had been the moment he recognized Sachi as his other half, his better half.

The realization did not crash upon him like a tidal wave. It was more akin to a warm and welcoming spring breeze.

He did not love her as a placeholder; just a woman that happened to love him, a man he thought unlikely of being loved.

He loved her as any man loved the love of his life, his one and only. And forces were working against him to take her from him. And he would be damned if he didn't protect her now.

As soon as they returned, as soon as this business was behind them he would ask her to marry him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Each morning in the compound was getting frightfully dull. She did the same things every day.

Though today after breakfast Hiro had been absent for their usual one-sided talks. Just as he said, he must have been out looking for more women to bear his children either willingly or unwillingly.

Kimiko had sought her out. Likely to make her feel more comfortable. Though she knew Kimiko might have an alternate intention she still entertained her polite conversation over a mid-morning snack of fresh fruit and vegetables.

"So where is it you are from?" Kimiko asked.

With that question, Sachi realized that even though they had spent a few days together she still knew nothing about Kimiko and she had not said a thing about herself to anyone within the compound.

"I'm from Konoha. Where are you from?"

"Ishigakure," she answered. "I hear Konoha is a really large village. What's it like?"

Sachi mulled over her answer with a strawberry in her mouth. "It's a great place with great people. There is a great sense of community that I hear isn't really found in other villages."

"Do you have any hobbies?"

Sachi heaved a tired breath. There was little else to do in the compound but she felt such a sense of unease around Kimiko, knowing she was so easily taken in by Hiro's lies.

"Mostly I like to read and listen to music."

Kimiko hummed. "Hiro searched really hard for braille books for you. Isn't he just the sweetest?"

Sachi couldn't stop another frustrated sigh. More than anything else she pitied Kimiko. She really was a sweet girl. It was a shame that Hiro had taken advantage of her. Sachi did not have it in her to take her anger out on Kimiko. It was not her fault that she was here and she had been nothing but helpful since she had woken up in her forced captivity.

"Kimiko-chan, I really don't want to talk about him. Why don't you just tell me more about yourself?"

They talked later and later into the night. Sachi found that there was little she could do not to like the woman before her. She seemed just as Sachi expected her to be, a very kind and helpful woman, not much older than herself.

Though Sachi had felt a certain friction with Kimiko she began to realize that she was likely just a good girl that had been taken in by Hiro's words. Though Kimiko accepted the situation Hiro kept them in Kimiko was still just a human being doing what she thought was best.

It was a strange revelation for Sachi. To accept that no one was perfect, one sometimes failed to realize that people were not entirely imperfect as well. And the idea that people could fit into such simple categories as good and bad, was a naive ideal.

It was then that she realized she liked Kimiko, despite her faults. And she didn't hate Hiro.

She feared him. She pitied his clan and their desperate attempts to repopulate before their clan line died out completely. But her pity did not equate to justification. Hiro seemed to be someone that would do anything to achieve the desired result. No matter if he had to warp the minds and use the bodies of a few women along the way.

She felt pity and a certain amount of heartache for how lonely the little clan was.

* * *

Please keep sending in your suggestions for a bonus chapter.


	30. Chapter 30

We have reached the action chapter! I hope you are not too disapointed.

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Chapter 30

Coming to blows

Day 5

Shino was woken out of his light sleep that morning by the frantic buzzing of Kai-chan. She paced across his forehead like a human would in a panic, repeating words across his consciousness: "the mistress!"

He hurried to wake the others.

"What is it?" Kiba said tiredly.

"Kai-chan senses something," he said.

Mere moments later they trailed Kai-chan as she flew off towards what she sensed. Nearly a quarter of a mile later Kai-chan began flying in circles, curiously detaining a mosquito until they arrived and Shino called both insects to him.

"What is it Shino-kun?" Hinata asked as he peered down at the insects through his glasses.

"The mosquito has fed on Sachi-chan. It is how Kai-chan sensed her presence," Shino explained.

Kiba sniffed the air. "That means she has to be somewhere close, right? She hasn't been through this area."

"It's not as simple as that," Shino said with a wry smile. He felt a rush of pride at Sachi's brilliance. He knew Sachi was intelligent but to have pulled this off required talent, ingenuity and sheer genius. "It has a message from Sachi-chan."

XXXXXXXXXXX

Sachi started that morning like any other while she was held captive, a trip to the bathroom, getting dressed for the day and having breakfast. But this morning Hiro hadn't come to find her so she had sat in the garden to pass the time with a book.

Waiting for someone to rescue her seemed like the worst plan she could think of. But Sachi knew that she wasn't a fighter and she couldn't outrun a ninja. She only hoped that by not fighting she could delay the inevitable treatment that she would receive here.

She scratched at the bug bites on her arms. Knowing that there were dozens of mosquitos out there looking for Shino was the only comfort that she had done something to help herself.

Sachi still didn't like the killer bee upon her head. It felt nothing like the kikai that she was so fond of and she would not accept it. It seemed her refusal to attach to it made it hard for the insect to be attuned to her. While it would buzz an indication of an object in her way or something of the sort she put forth no effort into teaching the insect as well as learning from it's cues.

So she ignored it wholly and completely and tried to push down the disgust that grew for the insect and it's master.

She shifted the braille book in her hands to scratch her arms again. She paused and canted her head to the side. What was that sound? A massive buzzing from her left began to drown out most other sounds around her.

The man that was assigned to guard her suddenly grabbed her arm and wrenched her out of her seat.

"You need to get back to your room," he said.

"Hey! Why?" she shouted back as she was dragged along.

"We are under attack. You aren't safe out here."

"Who- Who's attacking?" She tried desperately to wrench her arm out of the man's grip. This could be her chance! While everyone was distracted she could escape and run... anywhere but here.

Unfortunately, she lacked either the luck or the skill to do so.

The guard grabbed her around the middle and dragged her along under his arm back to her room. She shouted and thrashed to get loose and was soon placed within her bedroom doorway.

"Quiet!" he whispered harshly. "You will be safe as long as you stay in here. I won't let anyone pass."

Even the guard seemed deluded into thinking she wanted to stay here. She threw her book on the bed. She couldn't stay here. This could be her only chance to leave.

She shrieked when she heard the clash of metal on metal and the sounds of fighting just outside her door. Just when she began thinking that staying put might be the safer alternative to walking out into the middle of a battle she heard a distinctly different buzzing much more familiar and much closer than the one in the distance.

"Mistress Sachi!"

"Kai-chan!" she shouted in relief. Their reunion was short-lived as the bee upon her head buzzed angrily and flew at Kai-chan. "No!" she shouted at them as they began to fight.

She could sense the insects just out of her reach above her head. Kai-chan latched onto the bee and began draining it's chakra while the bee tried to dislodge it.

"Help is coming Mistress," Kai-chan said. The bee flailed wildly and shook Kai-chan free. With one swift movement, Sachi's beloved Kai-chan was impaled by it's stinger.

Sachi watched with horror as she sensed the kikai fall to the ground, already dead.

She picked up the book on her bed and quickly waved it through the air catching the bee and slammed it against the wall, killing it instantly.

She dropped the book with a scream as she heard a body fall to the floor just outside her room. It seemed that fight was over and the door slid open.

"Sachi-chan, there you are!"

"Kiba-kun?" she asked with disbelief. "Is that really you?" She let him pull her outside.

"Yeah. No time to explain. We are getting you out of here." He lifted her up by the waist and placed her on Akamaru's back. "Head down, hold on and be quiet," he commanded.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

When Shino and Shibi separated from the team they had to take the long way around the compound to avoid detection. They snuck closer and closer to the west wall If they wanted to be a good distraction they would have to be convincing. They needed to act as if they had no prior knowledge of the compound, They sent out a few dozen trackers to get the lay of the land, ones that were sure to be detected by fellow insect users fairly soon. It was only a minute and a half before both Aburame were confronted by three Kamizuru.

Their attack was quick and precise. If the two had not been lying in wait for just that, they might have been dead. They stood, locked in a pause while they measured their enemies skill.

"I thought I smelled the stink of Aburame," Hiro said.

Insects bled from the five hosts and the air became thick with buzzing and tension.

"We know you have Sachi Hara. Return her whole and unharmed and your deaths may be relatively painless," Shino said.

Hiro barked out a laugh. "And if she doesn't want to leave?"

No one spoke.

Hiro continued. "Sachi-chan hasn't fought us since she arrived. Are you so sure she wants to return with you? She knows the role you cursed Aburame have played in nearly wiping out the great Kamizuru clan. I'm sure it hasn't escaped even your notice that Sachi-chan is particularly compatible with we insect users. She knows of our plans for her -to restore our clan- yet she hasn't even tried to run. It seems to me like Sachi-chan wants to stay."

The confirmation of what they planned to use Sachi for burned like fire in his chest. His eyebrows lowered. With that confirmation, he resolved to eliminate the threat to her well-being permanently.

A petty niggling sensation in his mind was infuriated with Hiro's casual use of her name. It was not the use of her given name nor the familiar honorific attached to it, one that Shino had only begun to use, himself after they had started dating. No. It was the way Hiro said it, like a hushed whisper in a lover's ear, with a tenderness he did not earn or deserve.

"I am not inclined to believe you. I know her better than you," Shino said with conviction.

"Oh?" he said with a winning smirk and a taunting tone. "Then you know of that oh-so-soft hum when she is content? And the way those nimble fingers map every inch of skin?" Hiro smirked. "Perhaps. But I know things that you don't. Because you've never had her, have you?" Shino did not respond and that was all the answer Hiro needed. His smirk grew.

"She moans like a cat in heat when I'm rough with her. And those hands," he hissed in a breath,"the things she can do with those hands! Do you know when I take her every night she screams my name: Hiro, Hiro, Hiro!"

Never before had Shino felt such rage. His mind worked furiously to find a just punishment and fit it into his battle strategy. Another part of his mind played the scenes that Hiro painted. It couldn't be true. It couldn't. Sachi wasn't like how he had described her. Sachi, his Sachi was innocent.

"Calm down, Shino. He is baiting you," Shibi intoned.

"But!" Hiro said loudly and dramatically, drawing all attention to himself. He held a single finger in the air. "But do you know the worst part about this sorry situation?" Hiro pointed his finger at Shino. "You really thought she was yours. Didn't you? All that time spent with her, the dates, the festival and that kiss..."

Something in Shino sunk so low he thought he might actually fall to the forest floor. There was no way Hiro could know all of that unless he was spying on them. That thing that had sunk in him made his stomach wrench. Unbridled shame and guilt consumed him. He, a trained jonin, had not even noticed they had been watched. That only meant there were signs he hadn't noticed. And it was entirely his fault that Sachi was taken.

"You poor man." Hiro tutted. "I pity you. You thought she was your's when, really, she just hadn't met me yet."

A battle broke out as the kikai advanced. Each side took as much as they gave and insects quickly began to litter the ground. One of the Kamizuru dropped, then another and the Aburame were not without injury.

Shibi had exhausted his reserve of beetles. He only watched on as the remaining two men faced off against each other.

When Hiro and Shino were the last left standing and their battle intensified. Trading their loss of insects with kunai and shuriken they fought mercilessly.

The clang of metal on metal rang out as they collided. Their kunai shrieked and shook under the combined force as they stared into the eyes of their enemy.

"You realize you've already lost, haven't you?" Hiro hissed in Shino's face. "Even if you win the battle I've already had the girl!"

They flew back from each other, retreating to procure more time. Hiro's hands flew through seals and a flurry of bees swarmed Shino.

"It doesn't matter what you do now! Now that my killer bees have you you'll be stung to death!"

"You lose your advantage by talking too much," Shino said from behind him.

A clone, he thought too late.

Hiro didn't have time to look around before blows rained down upon his flesh and while he returned them with a few of his own when the proverbial dust cleared Shino stood holding the collar of a bloody and panting Hiro.

He looked to find his comrades dead.

"You damn Aburame can't leave well enough alone!"

Shino brought their faces closer together, where blazing blue met the flash of sunglasses.

"You took Sachi-chan from me. Did you really think we wouldn't come for her?"

He looked to his dead family around him, he gripped Shino's free arm tightly and reached for a kunai. "You're not going to kill me. I won't let the last Kamizuru be killed by another damn Aburame!" Hiro immediately flipped the kunai in his hand and drew it across his own throat.

* * *

This is probably the best action scene I have ever written. Sad, considering I have tried many times before. Please let me know what you think.


	31. Chapter 31

This chapter marks this story to be the longest story I have posted! It is now officially longer than "Trust me" in word count.

* * *

Chapter 31

Bare your soul

day 5

Sachi did as Kiba asked and wrapped her arms around Akamaru's neck, keeping her head down and her body flush with the canine. She bit her tongue to stop the scream of displeasure from flying through the air once again muting all her senses.

She kept quiet as he commanded and soon heard Kiba shout out, "We got her!"

They didn't stop moving but she heard Hinata's voice acknowledge Kiba just before she began to hold off a few pursuers.

A few minutes later they stopped in a clearing.

"Alright, we're good now," Kiba said. Sachi let out a relieved breath and quickly put her feet back on solid ground. "Are you hurt at all?"

"No, I'm fine. What do we do now?"

"We wait for everyone to regroup."

"Who else came?" she asked.

"Shibi and Hinata apart from us and Shino," he answered. "I've never seen him so bent out of shape before. He's got it bad," he said through a smile.

Sachi shook slightly and began to cry. She stifled her sobs in her hands. Far too many emotions began to hit her at the same time, she was relieved to be free but at the same time she was so grief-stricken knowing Kai-chan was dead.

Kiba wasn't sure what to do. He was more accustomed to handling fainting episodes, having dealt with Hinata for years. But he never had much experience dealing with crying women.

"Whoa, uh, hey, hey," he said nervously. "You're alright."

Akamaru shoved his massive head under her arm, seeming to do a better job of comforting the upset redhead than his master.

"Thank you," she said in sincere relief. "Thank you for getting me out of there. I was so scared-" She jumped as she stopped speaking and an instant later Kiba heard the same thing.

"Someone's coming," she whispered harshly. Kiba and Akamaru stood ready to protect her. But they quickly relaxed when they saw and smelled the rest of the team enter the clearing.

"It's alright. It's just the others." Kiba said to assure the blind woman that there was no danger.

While Hinata and Shibi stopped when they entered the clearing, Shino quickly made his way to Sachi, her name whispered upon his lips in what could only be called rapture.

Upon hearing his voice, Sachi quickly helped to eat up the remaining distance between them.

In a rare moment of public affection, Shino pulled her to him tightly, ecstatic to finally know she was safe. Sachi continued to shake and sniffle lightly against his chest.

He pulled her face back, examining her visage as he turned her head left and right. He let a few dozen kikai loose to examine her for injuries.

"I'm fine, Shino-kun," she responded to his worry, not even flinching at the kikai crawling across her skin. He was not satisfied with her words. He glared harshly at the bite mark that sullied her pale neck. His kikai assured him there was no internal damage and only one abnormality. He rolled up her sleeves to see the numerous bug bites dotting her skin.

"It's nothing. They didn't hurt me. I'm fine, really," she said trying desperately to calm him down. He finally seemed more assured and withdrew his kikai.

"It's over," he said, "we dealt with them. Are you ready to travel?"

"Well, wait. What happened to Kimiko-chan?" Sachi asked.

"Who?" Kiba asked.

"Kimiko-chan was kidnapped just like me. Did you see her?"

"Everyone we encountered fought until death," Shibi added.

"But Kimiko-chan wouldn't have fought!" Sachi declared adamantly. "I swear she wouldn't have. We have to go back for her."

They had agreed and quickly made it back to the Kamizuru's family home.

"Kimiko-chan!" Sachi shouted walking the familiar paths through the gardens to the house. "Where is she?"

Hinata activated her byakugan and searched the compound. "There is someone in the last room down the hall."

Sachi hastened down the hall towards what she knew as Kimiko's bedroom. She slid the door open and called for Kimiko again.

"Sachi-chan?" the voice questioned in a quavering tone. Kimiko rushed to the redhead and clung to her for support. "They're all dead!" she cried. "Hiro and the others they're dead! What do we-" Kimiko screamed as the others made it to the doorway and pulled Sachi with her away from the door. "It's them!"

"Kimiko-chan!" Sachi shouted. Kimiko screamed again.

"Please, please don't hurt us!"

"Kimiko!" Sachi shouted again as she grabbed the girl. "They're my friends. They won't hurt us."

"They killed everyone, Sachi-chan!" Kimiko shouted back in distress. "How can you say that?!"

"You have to trust me," she said gently. "It's alright. I promise." Though Kimiko's breathing was ragged and uneven she didn't protest. Sachi continued to whisper consoling words to the woman until she was relatively calm. It took several moments but Sachi successfully brought her out from her hysterics.

"What Sachi-san said is correct," Shibi interrupted. "We are not here to hurt you. We will be able to return you to your home now. Where do you live?"

"Ishigakure," she whispered, still uneasy.

Shibi nodded and confirmed the time as midmorning by the position of the sun. "If we leave now we should be able to reach the town soon. This compound is not far from the village."

"It's about 20 minutes by foot," Kimiko supplied.

"It'll be faster if we carry you both," Kiba added.

"No!" Everyone looked at the redhead as she protested quickly. "Carrying us through the trees isn't gentle. It will shake Kimiko around too much all that bumping will hurt her baby." Sachi knew the implications behind the sharp breaths she heard around her and the subsequent silence that followed her statement. Kimiko still believed herself to be a willing participant in Hiro's actions and as long as she did Sachi wouldn't let more harm come to Kimiko and her baby. "We will have to walk her back home."

"We will leave in five minutes," Shibi said.

Kimiko had taken the time to pack a bag of her things and sling it over her shoulder before they left. Sachi had not been here long enough to be attached to any of the objects and hadn't bothered venturing to her room down the hallway.

Kimiko did not stray far from the redhead and Sachi stayed close for her comfort. The shinobi kept their distance from the young woman in the understanding that they wouldn't want to provoke her sense of well-being any more than they already had. When they ventured out of the bedroom just a few minutes later, arm in arm, Kimiko held onto Sachi painfully tight and made a retching noise. Sachi knew the reason. She could smell the tang of blood all around them and had been desperately trying to ignore it.

"Close your eyes, Kimiko-chan. Just hold onto me," Sachi whispered gently.

She did as she was told and allowed herself to be lead by Sachi as they followed Kiba and Akamaru along the path to the village.

"How can you do that?" she asked. "I thought you were blind?"

"I am. But I can hear Kiba-kun walking ahead of us to know where to follow and I can sense where the ground isn't level because Shino-kun taught me how to sense my surroundings with chakra."

"So, you really do trust them?" Kimiko shot a look over her shoulder at the pair of bespectacled Aburame, only now realizing they were out of eyeshot of the carnage they left behind.

"Of course I do. They're my friends and Shino-kun is my boyfriend."

Kimiko's head snapped around a second time to glance at the younger Aburame with a look of incredulity on her face. "Really? And he's... nice?" she asked with uncertainty.

"Yes, definitely. In fact," Sachi lowered her voice and cupped her hand to her mouth so only Kimiko could hear, "he's secretly a sweet guy at heart. When he knew I wanted to read a book that wasn't in braille he bought it and read it to me."

Kimiko awed at her story. Sachi went on to explain the finer points of chakra sensing and why she usually relied on insects until they reached the village.

Shibi had entered the Kage's office with Kimiko to inform them of her return and all that had transpired. When they emerged the women knew they would be saying their goodbyes.

"Promise you will write to me after you get settled in," Sachi requested.

"I will. Please stay safe and take care of yourself.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Sachi asked when they stopped to make camp. They had traveled for the rest of the day and now that night was upon them it was time for some well-needed rest.

"No," Shino answered with finality. "Just rest Sachi-chan."

"You have been through a lot," Hinata's sweet voice interjected. "You should just relax."

Hinata took her off into the woods for a bathroom break as the others started a fire and prepared food.

"Here." Hinata offered her a cup of tea when they returned. "It will help."

She clenched her shaking hands around the cup, muttered her thanks and drained it between breaths. Hinata was quick to refill it. She was still shaken from traveling through the air. No matter how long she had to endure the feeling it would not get better.

"How did you find me?" she asked after the second cup of tea.

"Kai-chan told me what happened just after you were taken," Shino said. "She was vital to our success."

Sachi sniffled and scratched the top of her head where Kai-chan should have been.

"What happened to her?" Shino asked, picking up on the insect's absence.

"She died. Hiro gave me a bee to replace her and it killed her just before Kiba found me. Did she lead you all the way to me? Or did you get my messages?"

"Messages?" Kiba stressed the plural. "There was more than one?"

"I had to make sure they got to you."

"How many?" Shino asked as he poured more boiling water into a cup and placed a metal spoon inside.

"Uh... a few dozen, I stopped counting after 2 dozen."

Shino sat down closer to her. He lifted her right arm and began rolling up the sleeve, revealing the many mosquito bites on her arm.

"What are you doing?" she asked curiously.

"Heat will help break down the enzymes from the bite that cause it to itch. This will be uncomfortable." He tapped the spoon to his finger ensuring it was not hot enough to burn and pressed it to one of the bites. Sachi jumped and let out an exaggerated sound of pain.

"I didn't think it would be that hot!"

"My apologies."

"Sachi-san," Shibi spoke for the first time since they made camp. "You will have to indulge my curiosity. Why were you on the street at such an hour when you were taken?"

"Well, I wasn't just out and about just because if that's what you are wondering. I was sleeping when Kai-chan woke me up. She told me I needed to run. So, I did."

"How did she tell you?" he pressed with an air of intrigue coloring his voice.

"Well she spoke to me," she said matter-of-factly. "She never did that before. Is that normal?"

Shibi let out a breath that she was sure was an indication that the man was amused. "I believe you have little to do where 'normal' is concerned."

"Gee, thanks, Shibi-san," she deadpanned.

"I believe what my father means is that no one without a hive has been able to communicate with the Kikai as you have. It is merely outside the parameters of 'normal'." Shino continued his work with the hot spoon. "Could you communicate with the other insects in the same way?"

"They didn't talk to me if that's what you mean. But if they got the message out then they must have understood me."

"So what does all this mean exactly?" Kiba asked with curiosity.

The three non-Aburame looked to the eldest member of the group.

"It simply means Sachi-san is more in tune with the insects than we have previously assumed," he answered. "You have a natural talent with them. Had you been born an Aburame I have no doubt you would be counted among the elite shinobi."

She remained quiet, taking in what she believed to be an immense compliment from the stoic man.

Dinner had ended their conversation. As night fell they called an end to their day. Shino offered to do the first watch as he was still working on Sachi's bites on her legs. He had taken a cup of the hot water over to a tree for her to relax against while he worked.

"I knew you would come for me. I didn't know you would be so quick."

"You should never have been taken in the first place," he bit out. His brow furrowed in anger and resentment. It eased slightly when her hand rested on his face, cupping his cheek in her soft hands.

"Shino-kun, there was nothing that could have been done. It wasn't as bad as you might expect. They didn't hurt me, they let me eat and have fresh clothes and entertainment. As far as kidnapping goes it was about as ideal as you could get."

"Stockholm syndrome," he stated, pressing the hot spoon to another bite by her knee.

"What?" she asked.

"Stockholm syndrome is where a hostage or captive develops positive feelings toward their captor. They mistake a lack of abuse for kindness and begin to identify and empathize with their captors. In extreme and long lasting cases the captive may not even try to escape thier captors when given the chance. Some merely accept their new life, forgoing any possibility of real freedom."

Sachi suddenly felt sick. She finally understood what Hiro meant. She thought he was just deluded and crazy, wanting to make her new life nice as if she was a guest and not being held against her will.

"Do you know why they wanted me?" she said in a quavering whisper. "They-they wanted me just to repopulate their clan. And what Hiro said-" She choked as tears spilled down her face, her voice becoming impossibly smaller. "He said he wouldn't have to force me. When the time came I would beg for it."

Shino lifted her into his lap and cradled her against his chest.

"I was so scared," she whined as her throat tightened. "I was so scared you wouldn't come in time."

His grip tightened around her and she was thankful for the security he brought.

"I'm sorry," he said with a voice full of remorse. "I'm sorry, Sachi-chan. This was all my fault."

"What do you mean?"

"He had been spying on us. I should have realized. I could have prevented this."

The weight of his guilt only intensified as he reflected on all the time the signs were not apparent to him. Whether it was a chakra signature hidden in the middle of Konoha or more likely a few of the Kamizuru's bee's following their movements. He, of all people, should have noticed. If he had Sachi would never have been in danger. His head dipped low.

Shino knew he was not one to forgive and let go of grudges and this was something he knew he would never forgive himself for.

"If you think for one second I care about that, you're wrong," Sachi said with remarkable reserve considering she was still crying. "Sometimes you can't stop something from happening. Hiro would have done anything to restore his clan. You couldn't have protected me forever. What matters is that you came for me. Don't blame yourself for what Hiro did."

He dropped his head to rest against hers. How could one person be so forgiving? Did she even know how to hate someone?

"They won't take you again Sachi-chan. Whatever needs to be done I will do it to make you feel safe again." He removed his outer jacket and pulled it around her to keep her warm in the night and sure that no one was awake to witness it, or not caring, he kissed her forehead gently.

She trembled against him long into the night. He stroked her back until she fell asleep, her sniffles finally subsiding. After sending his kikai to wake Kiba, he joined her in sleep.

Sometime later Shino was startled out of his sleep when Sachi sat bolt upright in his lap.

"Sachi-chan? What is it?" Shino asked.

"I thought-" She turned her head to better receive sound from another direction. "I thought I heard something," she turned her head again, "...bees. But it's gone."

"It was probably just a dream," Kiba said after a careful whiff of the air.

"Go back to sleep, Sachi-chan," he whispered and caressed her back again. "We are here to protect you. You don't need to be afraid."

She let her head fall back to his shoulder where she had been resting. He watched her eyes close and slowly felt her body relax against him once again.

* * *

Some of you seemed to be worried that Shino would think what Hiro told him would be true. But that was never the case. Shino never doubted Sachi and knew Hiro was only lying.

How are you enjoying things so far? We are close to being done and there haven't been too many suggestions for the bonus chapter. Keep sending in your ideas.


	32. Chapter 32

Sorry for such a late update. I was very busy all day long.

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Chapter 32

With bated breath

It was late in the evening by the time they returned to Konoha. After they stopped at the Hokage's office for a debriefing they went their separate ways.

Shino, of course, accompanied Sachi home. They arrived as quickly as Sachi could pull him by the arm through the streets, though he typically lead her.

They arrived in what must have been record time and Sachi ran up the front steps and through the door ahead of him.

"Kaachan? Tousan? Otouto?" She shouted into the house, unsure where they were.

Aoi was the first to see her. Having been in the kitchen for a cup of tea, he saw his daughter burst through the door and made his way over to her so fast he knocked the cups to the floor.

The large man strode quickly across the kitchen, not bothering to hide the relieved tears building in his eyes as he hurried to embrace his daughter.

He held her so tightly, engulfed in his large arms, Shino wasn't entirely sure she was able to breathe. Aoi whispered her name like a prayer as both redheads shook and began crying.

A gasp alerted all in the area to the short woman in the kitchen doorway. She stared at her daughter only long enough to see she was not just a dream and ran to hug Sachi with tears already dripping from her cheeks.

Noriko couldn't utter a word through her cries of joy and both parents held their missing daughter on either side.

Kaito was last to join the scene, already in his pajamas, but looking no more rested than the rest of the Hara family. He ran, like the others and wrapped his arms around his sister's waist, laying his head on her shoulder.

Sachi stood between them all like a merciful angel of comfort, an arm around her mother and brother and her head resting on her father's chest.

"Are you alright, Sachi?" Aoi asked.

"I'm alright, Tousan. Shino-kun got to me before anything bad happened."

Three pairs of eyes looked to Shino as if they had only just noticed his presence. Kaito was the first to detach from Sachi. He turned and bowed very low to Shino.

"Thank you for bringing my Nee-chan back."

Everyone was heartened by the youngest in the room. Noriko's sobbing quieted to sniffles as she regarded her son.

Aoi detached from his wife and daughter and held out a hand to Shino. Both men shook hands hard, neither in intimidation but in thanks and understanding. Aoi nodded to Shino, a silent message that he trusted and approved of him for his daughter. Shino recognized how much meaning this held for the redheaded man. Shino had proven himself capable and willing to protect his daughter and thereby irrevocably earned Aoi's official stamp of approval. Shino returned his nod.

"Come and sit, Sachi, you must be hungry," Noriko said fully intending to make up for the lost days and care for her child thoroughly. Noriko turned and motioned to Shino. "You, too, Shino-kun. Please sit." Resigning himself to whatever was to come, he sat at the table and watched Noriko hurry behind the counter after leaving a lingering kiss on the crown of her daughter's head.

"Aburame-san told us you were kidnapped," Aoi began as he and Kaito joined them at the table. "What happened Sachi?"

"Kai-chan woke me up and told me I had to run to Shino-kun. I was barely out of the house when they took me and left Kai-chan behind. The next thing I knew I woke up in the Kamizuru's family home. They didn't hurt me or starve me. It took a few days but Shino-kun came and saved me."

"They didn't hurt you at all?" Aoi asked.

"No, because they were attempting to win her over through kindness," Shino answered. "If they could make her want to stay there would be little we could do. To take her then would be classified as a kidnapping rather than rescuing. It was the smarter decision. Hurting her would not have helped them at all."

Aoi's jaw tensed. "What I find disturbing is that you knew you were in danger and you didn't come to me, Sachi. I was just in the next room. You only ran right into their trap. What were you thinking?" he asked in a begging tone. "I am your father. I'm here to protect you. Why didn't you come to me?"

Sachi's head dipped in shame of disappointing her father. "I didn't know that I was in danger, Tousan. Kai-chan only told me I needed to run. So, I ran."

"It was the best decision," Shino defended. "Had you stayed and went to your father the Kamizuru would have used force to take you, likely killing the rest of your family in the process. Running saved your family. If you managed to get to the gate of the Aburame grounds, as you intended, you would have been provided protection. Running was the only decision that made sense." He turned to Aoi. "No civilian could hold their own against the Kamizuru. You would not have been able to protect Sachi-chan."

Aoi pinched the bridge of his nose with a heavy breath, his pride fighting the truth in Shino's words. He deeply wanted to deny them, to say he was capable of protecting his family but he knew civilians couldn't hold a candle to a ninja's skill level and bit his tongue.

Noriko had quickly put together two plates and set them down. "What is most important is that Sachi is safe and we have Shino-kun to thank for that. How on earth did you find her so quickly? I don't imagine they made it easy."

"Kai-chan informed me immediately after Sachi-chan was taken. I quickly formed a team and Kai-chan lead us to her last known location. My team's specialty is tracking and information gathering. We easily narrowed down which country she was in and Kai-chan lead us the last stretch to where she was being held."

"Goodness! Sounds like you have quite the little companion, Sachi. She's much more useful than we originally thought, hmm?"

A gloom settled over Sachi at the mention of her faithful companion. "Kai-chan died to protect me."

Noriko looked from Sachi to Shino. Obviously, there was no replacement yet. Not that she expected them to make such a move so fast. But this development would call many things into question about their relationship sooner than they assumed.

They talked over more of the minor details as Noriko fussed over them, forcing them to eat till they were stuffed provided a little relief to the woman as she flitted around the kitchen and table as fast as a hummingbird in a vast garden.

"And you are sure she is safe?" Noriko asked.

"We have eliminated the threat to Sachi-chan's well-being," he answered.

"What about other clans?" Noriko pressed.

"None are in such a predicament as the Kamizuru were. I am confident this will not happen again."

Noriko sighed tiredly and rest her hands above her heart. "Thank you, Shino-kun. You've put my mind at ease."

"It's late," Aoi said with a look at the clock. "We can all talk another time."

"You're right, dear. We should all get to bed. I don't think any of us have slept well in the last few days." Noriko stood and bowed deeply. "We can never thank you enough, Shino-kun."

"Saving Sachi-chan was just as important to me." He reached out to grasp her hand in his, squeezing it and running his thumb across her skin gently as if she were made of porcelain. "I wouldn't know what to do without her."

He would never tire of seeing that blissful smile.

He stood, reluctantly tearing himself away. It had been a long and exhausting journey and he was eager to rest.

Sachi's hand stopped him before he strode away from the table. He looked back to her. The action itself was telling. Exhausted as she was she still expended chakra, searching for his hand in the air in a desperate to keep him from leaving. Her form trembled slightly from worry and fear.

He claimed to feel lost without her but it was clear he was not the only one.

"Uh, Shino-kun, I-uh-" He could hear the uncertainty and fear in her voice. She was afraid to part from him.

"I promise you are safe. I ensured they will not return."

From her hand tightening around his, he could tell logical thinking did nothing to abate her worry. No doubt if he left her in the place she was taken with nothing but verbal assurances, she would be unable to rest. The fear they would return would still be all too fresh in her mind, reliving that night each time she dared to fall asleep.

"Would you like me to stay with you?" he asked.

"Yes," she breathed out in relief.

"I'm afraid you can't," Aoi interrupted. "There isn't enough room for you to sleep. However, if Sachi can stay with you, I think no one here would mind."

Shino nodded. "My family can accommodate you, Sachi-chan. We would be happy to have you." Sachi whispered her thanks.

"You should take a quick shower while I pack you a bag, Sachi," Noriko suggested. Sachi agreed and both women disappeared up the stairs.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Twenty minutes later both women returned to the kitchen, Sachi with her hair wet and a small bag over her shoulder.

"Make sure you see Yuki-chan tomorrow. She's worried sick," Noriko said.

"I will. I'll see you tomorrow."

After another round of hugs, kisses, and thanks they left with Sachi holding onto Shino's arm for guidance.

She sighed. "I wonder what I did to deserve someone as wonderful as you," she mused.

"I think the same thing all too frequently."

"Well, Shino-kun, I feel like all I've done is take what you give to me. I feel like I don't return enough. You've given me two insects to help me, a necklace, we've gone on dates that you pay for, you've trained me to help me see the world around me and help me become more independent and now you've just saved me from kidnappers. And I can't think of anything I've given you."

"You give me more than you realize. Perhaps because the things are immaterial you do not know I receive them. You give me happiness, first and foremost, each time I see you smile you give me an overwhelming amount of joy. You have given me companionship and a reason to fight and I am all the stronger because of you. You give me your time, a most precious commodity. You give me your love, selflessly and unabashedly. But what is most important you have given me a person to share my love with, someone to give my time, hopes and dreams to. And you should never feel that my reciprocation is far superior to yours as I feel there will never be enough I could do for you to return what you give me."

Sachi could barely speak through her smile. "Maybe we can agree to disagree about this then?"

"Perhaps that would be best," he said. She laid her head on his arm, overcome with fuzzy feelings and wanting more contact from him.

The rest of the journey was spent in silence. Shino lead her through his home and up to his room, excusing himself for a shower and letting her change in peace. He sent a kikai to inform his parents about their visitor and returned to his room clean and freshly clothed.

He had to admit she looked adorable covered from neck to ankle in a two piece pajama set, seated on the edge of his bed, no doubt waiting for him. He could not suppress a small huff of amusement when he saw the design on her nightwear.

"What?" she asked, hearing his near-laugh.

"Are you aware the design of your clothing depicts cartoonish ladybugs?"

Sachi snorted out a laugh and rubbed her eyes. "Well, that would explain why Kaachan said you would like them." She yawned and he realized then how exhausted she must have been. He, his father and his team were used to the constant moving and even if she hadn't traveled the distance on her own two feet the motions and sleep deprivation of this whole ordeal were obviously catching up to her now that she felt safer.

Shino climbed into the bed, leaving the covers open for her, waiting for her to join him. She hesitated only slightly. It was one thing to share a space on the ground, cuddled up for warmth and comfort. It was entirely different to share a bed.

But this was Shino after all. Her gentlemanly, protective boyfriend. She was sure he was far too worried about her mental well-being and lack of sleep to consider anything physical happening that night.

She slipped under the covers and tucked herself happily against his chest with an exhausted sigh. It felt good to sleep in a bed again! Shino flipped the covers back over them and settled Sachi in his arms as they both laid on their sides facing each other.

"Sleep knowing you are safe, Sachi-chan. I will not allow anything to hurt you." He pressed a lingering kiss to her brow and felt what little tension that remained leave her body. She tilted her neck and captured his lips with her own in a soft and sleepy kiss.

She buried her face against his chest, nuzzling his neck like a cat and mumbled a declaration of her love for him. His arms tightened around her, hungering for this delightful woman to be closer to his heart and within the protection she so sorely desired. He returned her declaration for one of his own, speaking it sleepily into her hair just before they both fell into the most blissful and restful sleep either had received in days.

* * *

Bonus chapter ideas are pouring in! You are inspiring me to write more on this story. Thank you all!


	33. Chapter 33

An earlier update for you as an apology for yesterday's late update.

* * *

Chapter 33

To pop the question

She went to the bookstore early that morning to see Yuki. Predictably the blonde had become little more than a flurry of tears and hugs. Yuki had given her the most thorough questioning of her life, asking for every single detail to be described to her. It was hours later that she finally managed to escape her friend and joined her parent's again that morning. Her father had taken the day off and Kaito even skipped school to see her.

Shino had been absent for these visits. As they were much more about Sachi reuniting with her family neither of them thought it necessary for him to be there. This suited Shino just fine as he had other business to attend to.

It took nearly a week for Sachi to feel comfortable enough to sleep in her own room again. This was hastened by her desire to stop feeling like she was mooching off of Shino and his family. Though they had insisted she should stay as long as she liked she knew she couldn't stay there forever. Six nights in Shino's room and she couldn't feed off the Aburame's kindness without feeling worse about herself. So that evening she had packed up her few things that had made a home in Shino's room -not much more than a few clothes, a comb, and a toothbrush- and left with assurances that she was incredibly grateful and would see them again soon.

The first night in her own room went smoother than she had expected. Only a bit of nervousness and a few deep breaths before sleep overtook her.

She finally returned Kai-san's amber necklace to her neck. Before she was captured she took it off every night just before bed. But it made her feel better knowing that Kai-san was so close to her heart and she chose to keep it on always.

When the following morning came she was relieved to know that she made it through a night without Shino and that no nightmares or anxiety kept her up.

"Glad to have you back, Sachi," Noriko said over breakfast with a quick kiss to the crown of her daughter's head. They were enjoying a rather late and quiet breakfast as her father and brother were back to work and school.

Hearing the mail being delivered, Sachi rose from the table with a fresh bite of toast and retrieved it. She handed it to her mother. Noriko flicked through several bills before stopping at a hand written letter.

"Something for you, Sachi." She plucked the letter from the pile and examined it closer. "From a 'Kimiko Mazuka'."

"Kimiko?" Sachi questioned in surprise. "Read it to me, please?"

Noriko tore open the letter and began to read aloud.

Dear Sachi,

I really hope this letter reaches you, since I really only know your first name and that you are from Konoha.

I'm doing very well. My mother insisted on me seeing a therapist and I'm understanding what I went through a little better. It's difficult when I believe one thing but they tell me another.

I'm keeping my baby because it is just that, it's my baby! To me, it doesn't matter who the baby's father is or how he came to be. He's still my baby. (Yes, it's a boy!) My family is slowly accepting my decision.

I've been looking at baby names like crazy. I found out yours means "girl child of bliss" and it was because of that I wanted to name my son "Anando" after you because it also means "bliss".

Thank you for everything you did. I understand now that I wasn't entirely myself when we met. You saved me.

Please let me know how you are feeling. And send my thanks to the shinobi that saved us.

-Kimiko Mazuka

"That was one of the kidnapped girls?" Noriko asked.

"The first and only other one. She had been there a while," Sachi answered with a tone of melancholy. "She wasn't a bad person, just in a bad situation. I'm glad she's doing well."

"Do you want to write a letter back now?"

"I will later after I think about it first. I have to get ready."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was the day of Naruto and Hinata's wedding. Konoha's hero and the Hyuuga heiress were to be wed which meant there was little else to talk about in the village. All those that had warranted an invitation were dressed in their best and this was no exception for the Aburame heir. He had forgone his usual layers for more formal attire that left him far too exposed for his liking. Though he was planning to take Sachi as his companion for the event, it came to no surprise that she had received her own invitation. He rapped his knuckles on the door of the Hara home and was met with the warm, smiling face of Noriko.

"My goodness! Don't you look handsome, Shino-kun."

"Thank you, Noriko-san. Is Sachi-chan ready?"

"She's up in her room," she said with a jerk of her head at the stairs. "You can go up and get her."

Shino nodded and ascended the stairs. His dress shoes tapped louder on the steps than his usual footwear. He was sure she would hear him approaching. He turned to the left and nudged the cracked door open. Sachi was already dressed in a formal yukata and sat on her bed, toying nervously with her the sunglasses in her hands.

"Sachi-chan?" he asked with concern. She didn't even notice him until he called her name.

"Oh," she intoned with surprise. "Is it time to go?"

"We have a few minutes." He crossed the room and sat next to her. "Is something bothering you?"

"Well, yes and no. I was actually going to ask you a favor."

"Yes?"

She took a large breath and let it out slowly. "I was thinking of going to the wedding without my glasses and I was hoping you wouldn't mind doing the same to help me through it?"

She heard the sound of plastic clicking twice and she realized he had already taken his sunglasses off.

"Of course I will."

She sighed in relief and set her glasses on the bedside table. Leaving them at home would be best to avoid the temptation of hiding behind them. When they descended the stairs Noriko began gushing.

"Oh, aren't you just the cutest couple I have ever seen!?" she squealed through a dazzling smile. "Wait! Wait right there I'll get my camera." She rushed to the hall closet.

"Kaachan, today isn't about us," Sachi said.

"I know," Noriko said already returning with camera in hand. "I know, dear. But you both look so adorable I need documentation of this moment. Now, smile."

The moment the flash sounded Sachi wrinkled her nose and stuck out her tongue to tease her mother.

"Sachi," Noriko said. Her voice was colored in the warning tone of a perturbed mother.

"Fine," she said with a satisfied smile.

"Act like you two like each other."

"We do," Sachi defended vehemently.

"I know dear, but act like it for once."

Noriko sent a meaningful glance at Shino and he understood. He was not the type to enjoy public displays of affection. The most that he and Sachi showed their relationship to others was her hold on his arm. If it hadn't been for Sachi's blindness and the occasional need for guidance he imagined they may not touch in public at all.

Noriko wanted a picture displaying them as a proper couple and Noriko was likely to get her way at some point. Giving in at the first opportunity seemed easier than denying the tenacious woman.

Shino imagined he was alone with Sachi and pulled her back to his chest, holding her there gently with his arms around her waist. She was slightly flustered but soon relaxed happily. Just before the camera flash, he pressed a kiss to the crown of her head, forever capturing the adorable look of reverent surprise on her unhidden face. Her cheeks blazed as they separated and Shino knew he needed to get a copy of that photo and perhaps destroy all other copies to keep it to himself.

Noriko was more than happy with the photo. She waved them off happily, shouting at them that they would be late if they didn't hurry.

They enjoyed the walk to the wedding in silence. Sachi held her folded cane under her arm. With her chakra sense developed she was able to make her way around town without it most of the time. But hours on end of using it to it's full extent would leave her chakra supply depleted and she would have to resort to her cane. After her seeing eye insects, she had seen her cane as a secondary and less accurate device. After all, a cane could only tell her what was on the ground and couldn't alert her to anything hanging down such as a tree branch. But now that she didn't have an insect to help her she had gone back to using her cane.

Thankfully anytime she was with Shino he would provide an arm and lead her around rather than letting her deplete her chakra and she was grateful for that. It felt much less like relying on him and more like simply holding onto her boyfriend.

As they neared the wedding, Sachi's grip on his arm tightened. He brushed his hand against hers, calling attention to him rather than her worrisome thoughts. He knew her mind was preoccupied with her eyes and he hoped the first day she went out in public without her sunglasses would go well.

The wedding went wonderfully. The ceremony was beautiful, Hinata was a vision and Naruto didn't even try to hide his tears as he wiped them from his face.

Shino mentioned such details under his breath to the woman at his side.

When the happy couple was finally wed everyone moved to the reception area for food, drink, and dancing.

"So, is Naruto-kun actually a good dancer?" Sachi asked sometime later when it came time for the bride and groom's first dance together.

Shino watched his friends slowly rotating and swaying, each with a smile that told volumes of their feelings for the other.

"He is doing well. Hinata-chan is pleased."

"Well, it is her wedding day. I would hope she would be pleased."

Others began to join on the dance floor, couples gathering to begin their own dances now that the music had changed.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked.

"Oh, well," she began with unease, "I don't really know how. I've never actually danced formally before. I don't even know what it's like."

"There is a first time for everything," he said lifting her hand into his. "Would you like to try?" She gave a sheepish smile and agreed. He led her to the dance floor where they joined the motions of swaying bodies. They placed their hands accordingly and he began to navigate them through the steps.

He suspected it was thanks to her chakra that she could sense where he was about to move them and she was able to respond in kind, for she moved gracefully along with him very well for being a beginner.

"I didn't know you knew how to dance," she commented.

"There are several skills I possess that I rarely use."

He was struck with a rare smile in this moment as he led her across the floor where she exhibited a grace that even an expert would have been jealous of. She was very open to new experiences and was delighted to learn another skill that he was willing to teach. Seeing her smile at her excitement and pleasure at learning to dance made his heart beat harder and his kikai shift to echo his growing anticipation.

And it seemed she picked up on it.

"If you are uncomfortable we can stop," she said as her smile faded and her happy glow was replaced with a worried look.

"No, I am enjoying dancing with you." It was not a lie, seeing her happy and knowing he caused it would make even an undesirable activity enjoyable.

"Then maybe you should quit thinking so much and enjoy the moment."

He admitted she was right and did as she asked. He found that quieting his mind was rather easy when he was permitted a rare view of her eyes. Not that he would comment now that she was so at ease but it seemed her worries were unnecessary. Not one person had commented negatively on her eyes. Few even seemed to notice them among the throng of wedding guests.

The song and therefore their dancing had ended without fanfare. They meandered their way through the crowd to the happy couple to bestow their congratulations. The newlyweds thanked them and Naruto turned to address Sachi.

"You must be one of Hinata-chan's cousins right? It's nice to meet you."

Sachi grew confused and Shino quietly groaned out his frustrations with the blond. With such a lack of observational skills, it was a wonder he had lived so long in his chosen profession. Thankfully Hinata saved the situation.

"Naruto-kun, I'm sure you remember Sachi-chan."

Naruto let out an exaggerated sound of surprise and gaped at Sachi.

"But- But- Sachi-chan?" he said haltingly as he pointed at her in confusion. "Your eyes..."

Sachi's eyebrows lowered and her eyes closed in mortification. She should have known better.

"I thought you were a Hyuuga!" Naruto shouted.

The pain building in Sachi's heart eased and she opened her eyes again, tentatively. Naruto -can't-hold-anything-back, sticks-his-foot-in-his-mouth-Naruto didn't think her eyes were creepy?

"But that must mean..." Naruto began. His gaze and finger shifting to Shino, who he had just taken real notice of since the two couples began to converse. He was shocked into a brief few seconds of silence. When he recovered his finger jammed closer to Shino's face. "You're not wearing your glasses!" he shouted.

With a squeeze from Hinata, Naruto seemed to remember himself and he calmed down.

"Well, we hope you enjoyed everything," Naruto said sheepishly.

"Everything was great. Congratulations again," Sachi said.

They parted to let the happy couple receive more guests with well wishes.

"They are so adorable together," Sachi cooed softly.

"Undoubtedly their marriage will be a long and happy one," he agreed.

As the festivities began to wind down they left in favor of slowly strolling the streets of Konoha.

"It is not yet night. Would you like to take a walk to the pond?"

"Yeah, I'd like that."

They journeyed to the pond musing over the finer details of the wedding. When they arrived they sat cuddled together side by side with their backs against a tree.

"This pond holds many memories," Shino said, resting his head on hers as she rest hers on his shoulder.

"Yeah, I guess it does. You taught me a lot about chakra here and this is where you gave me Kai-chan."

"It is where I hope you will accept the next."

Sachi hummed. "Maybe someday."

A single female kikai flew from him to her hand. "Perhaps today," he said.

"Shino-kun," she began in a softly scathing tone, "you know I can't accept this. Your clan elders would have a fit."

"Not if their conditions are met."

"Conditions?" Sachi repeated quietly to herself. The conditions for accepting another kikai were...

She started and turned the full attention of her chakra to him. Did he mean...?

"Shino-kun?" she questioned with surprise.

"I am not one for elaborate speeches or fanciful words but I believe this speaks for itself."

She could barely breathe as he pulled out a small box. She ran her fingers over it in his hands. The ring was made with one large oval stone surrounded by two smaller circular ones. She thought it must have been lovely but what mattered was what the ring meant and how her heart began to beat faster realizing what Shino was asking her.

"Sachi-chan, will you marry me?"

"Oh, Shino-kun, yes! A million times, yes!"

She wiped at the tears collecting at her eyes as he placed the ring on her finger. And their kiss was long and sweet before she turned her attention to the insect upon her hand.

"What will you name this one?" he asked as she fed it her chakra for the first time.

"Well, she is definitely a special one since she was used for your proposal. Her name should be something special."

"She is a direct descendant of Kai-san."

"Really?" she asked with surprise. "Then I think I will call her Kai-sama. I think she deserves the respect."

When Sachi returned home that night and after her mother had cooed over their engagement, she found the words flowed much easier in her letter to Kimiko. Noriko penned a warm and heartfelt letter for Sachi, one that eagerly asked Kimiko to continue to write to her. Feeling it was important, Sachi signed the letter with her own hand and sealed the letter to her inadvertent friend.

* * *

Not long until the story is over and then I will get working on a bonus chapter.


	34. Chapter 34

Thank you all for your dedication in this journey. We are nearly finished and the last few chapters will be considered more like bonus chapters.

* * *

Chapter 34

On cloud nine

Several months had gone by in idyllic happiness. Sachi and Shino were wed in a quiet affair, as quiet as a clan marriage could hope to be. While Shino's family and clan made up a majority of the guests, it came to no one's surprise that Sachi's family was far louder and made up for the absence of sound from the rather quiet clan.

Noriko and Yuki, for example, had broken down in several bouts of happy sobs. While Aoi casually wiped at his face proclaiming that he most certainly had something in his eye.

Soon after the moved into a house within the clan grounds the new school year started and Shino was the newest instructor. Sachi knew first hand how wonderful a teacher he was and she was sure he would do well molding the minds of the young shinobi.

Their lives were wonderful together but as the rhyme goes, first comes love, then comes marriage, then...

Yuki screamed louder than a banshee, flapping her arms around about her like a fledgling attempting to take it's first flight. She bounced and squealed so loudly that Sachi had to plug her ears.

"Yuki-chan!" Sachi shouted over her enthusiastic friend, fingers still firmly in her ears. "Stop or I swear you will damage my eardrums."

Yuki quieted to smaller squeaks more indicative of a distressed mouse. Her frame continued to shake. She seemed so excited that she couldn't speak, a first for the flamboyant young woman.

"Did I not stress the word 'might' enough?"

Sachi had suspicions why mother nature was several days late in her monthly unwanted visit. The test for such suspicions was, unfortunately, a very visual one. So Sachi had picked up the tests at a small store and made her way to Yuki's house where she still lived with her parents and made it up to the room they had spent so many sleepovers in.

Though Sachi could have gone to anyone to help her read the results of the test, if it came out positive she had wanted to surprise Shino with it. She needed someone close to her, that would be excited to be the first to know, to be able to keep the secret from her family until she was ready to tell them, and most of all she needed someone subtle enough around Shino to not give away the surprise.

Perhaps Yuki wasn't the best choice.

"But 'might' is still a possibility!" She squealed again. "Oh! Sachi-chan and Shino-kun are going to have a baby!"

"Yuki-chan!" Sachi protested. "I don't know for sure that I am. So quit saying it, my nerves are already making me sick."

Yuki's voice grew so high that she was sure it would start attracting dogs. "That's one of the first signs!"

Sachi heaved a sigh and held out the small grocery bag with the tests in it. "Will you just read out the instructions for me?"

There was little back and forth between them. Yuki calmed enough to read out the details from the package insert through the door of the bathroom. When all instructions were complete Sachi emerged from the bathroom with a tight hold on the test and a thumb over the reading.

"Let me see! Let me see! Let me see!" Yuki bounced, reaching for the test. Sachi had anticipated such an action and held the test away.

"No, the time's not up."

"Well, just let me hold it!" Yuki whined impatiently.

"No, if I let you have it, you are going to peek before it's done."

Not even bothering to argue Yuki sprang across the hallway reaching for the test just as it was pulled out of her reach.

Yuki and Sachi were very nearly the same height with Sachi having, perhaps a half inch on Yuki's height. So when said exuberant blonde began to try to climb her redheaded friend like a tree, it did not go over well. Both women fell to the floor with a great thump and wrestled with each other.

Though Sachi was hardly the type for such childish physical behavior this was not the first time she had found herself an unwilling participant in a wrestling contest with Yuki. It was only natural that the instigator, powerhouse of energy, and willing exuberant brawler was always the winner. There were several shouts of 'Yuki, no!' and 'Sachi, yes!' heard among the scuffling and sounds of exertion before Yuki finally plucked the test from Sachi's hand after pinning her arm.

Yuki jumped up victoriously holding the small white stick up as her prize. Sachi rose from the floor with a sigh.

"So?" Sachi asked, wondering why she hadn't exploded in joy or disappointment yet. "What's it say?"

"Uh," Yuki droned as she looked at the test several different ways. "How are you supposed to read this thing?"

Sachi sighed once again, not bothering to point out that she was the one to read the instructions and should already know.

"You said, one pink line for no and two pink lines for yes."

The world remained silent for all of two seconds before it exploded in an excited scream.

"Sachi! You're going to have a baby! There are two pink lines!" Caught in the moment, Sachi began to shout and bounce around with Yuki. Yuki dropped to her knees and hugged Sachi around the middle.

"Don't you worry, little one!" she cooed to the child, rubbing her face on Sachi's belly like a cat. "Auntie Yuki will always be there to spoil you rotten."

"Yuki-chan..."

"Auntie Yuki will give you everything you could ever ask for."

"Yuu-ki..."

"Anytime anyone tells you no, Auntie Yuki will say yes."

Yuki was interrupted by the sharp snap of knuckles on her head and she looked up into the gray eyes of the mother she had been ignoring.

"Yuki-chan, I'm pretty sure the baby can't hear you yet."

"Aww, Sachi-chan that doesn't matter." She rubbed her cheek on Sachi's belly again. "My little niece needs to know that she is loved."

"Yuki-chan we don't know if the baby will be a boy or girl."

Yuki looked up in confusion. "Isn't that why the lines were pink?"

"No, Yuki-chan."

She shrugged. "Either way. A spoiled Prince or Princess will be coming!" Yuki sang. She jumped up suddenly and ran for her purse. "I have to start buying baby clothes!" She spared a second to make sure her wallet and keys were inside. "Diapers alone! Onesies and shirts and shorts and-Oh! Tiny baby socks are so cute! But dresses or overalls? Dresses or overalls? Both obviously we have to account for either gender, and a girl would look so cute in overalls anyway-"

"Yuki!" Sachi shouted again for her friend's attention. "No baby clothes!" she said with an extra added, "no," for emphasis. "You can't start announcing to the world that we are having a baby. Shino-kun and I are the ones that get to do that. I know it's going to be hard for you but I need you to keep it a secret at least until I tell Shino-kun and our parents. Okay?"

Yuki deflated. "Yeah, alright," she said tiredly. "Your right. It's not my secret to tell. But," Yuki grabbed her friend's shoulders and became deadly serious, each of her words dripping with more determination than Sachi had ever heard from her, "you have to let me know as soon as the secret is out. Okay?"

Sachi had promised and quickly made her way home, trying to plan out exactly how she would tell Shino in just a few short hours when he came home from work.

She decided to invite their parents for dinner and that would give her enough time to tell Shino before they arrived. So, with plenty of time to spare, she stopped at both homes and gained the assurance that both couples would be in attendance. She excused herself politely from each house with the reason that she had to go grocery shopping. It was true, but she didn't want to stay too long and ruin their surprise.

She returned home with her shopping bags and began to worry over how to tell Shino in just a few short hours. She knew Shino would probably just appreciate a straight forward statement but she really wanted to make it a memory that she would cherish.

When she returned home she immediately began on dinner. And with less than an hour until Shino returned home she racked her brain for ways to tell him the happy news. When, at last, he returned she greeted him cheerfully with a never ending smile.

"How was your day?" she asked.

"Fine. Most of my students take to classes very well but some are more troublesome than I would like to admit."

"I'm sure they will do just fine with a teacher like you."

"Thank you," he said sincerely. "How was your day?"

"Busy. I went to see Yuki-chan and I invited our parents to dinner."

Shino thought for a moment, wondering on the occasion. It couldn't be her birthday or his. And it was not yet their anniversary.

"Why is that?" he asked.

She smiled. "Well, we have something important to tell them."

Again he racked his brain. Had he been so consumed with his students that he forgot an important piece of news?

"What exactly are we telling them?" he asked with a furrowed brow.

Sachi couldn't stop smiling as she placed Shino's hands at her belly.

"We have to tell them that we are going to be parents."

The word seemed to echo in his mind, repeating over and over growing soft before returning louder and louder.

Parents. Parents. Parents!

His gaze canted downward to her navel. He knew it was possible of course but it had been the last thing he expected.

"Really?" he asked breathlessly.

"Yes."

They embraced long and lovingly. Never had Shino experienced bliss such as this moment. He and the woman he loved would have a child together and it made him both happy and strangely anxious.

Their parents had arrived on schedule and enjoyed a lovely meal together before they had broken the news. There was excitement apparent from each soon-to-be-grandparent. Noriko, being the boldest, had squealed out her congratulations and hurried to envelop her daughter in a tight hug.

The questions had begun just after that. How far along? When will you know the gender? When is it due? Have you picked out names?

Sachi had been a bit flustered at the questions due to the fact she could not answer any of them yet. While Youko and Sachi discussed a little more, Shino noticed Noriko become a little paler and clammed up suddenly. When Noriko was sure Shino noticed she motioned her head in the direction of the kitchen. He rose and followed.

"Yes, Noriko-san?"

"First of all, congratulations, dear. We are all so happy for you both. But there is something very important you must do. Shino-kun, whatever happens, you can't let Sachi name your children." She was dead serious. There was no trace of the typical joyful attitude that encompassed her.

"What do you mean?"

"You may have noticed Sachi isn't exactly creative with naming things."

He had noticed.

"Yes. Each time she named a kikai she essentially took the given name and added an honorific."

Noriko shook her head at her daughter's antics. "She once had a hamster she named 'Piggy-chama'. Please, don't let her name them. Otherwise we will be left with something like 'Baby-chan Aburame'."

Shino's eyebrows turned downward in his disapproval. That was entirely likely and equally unacceptable. He would definitely have to encourage her to choose better names.

* * *

Thanks to all who have reviewed so far and please continue reviewing!


	35. Chapter 35

Sorry for another late update!

* * *

Chapter 35

The jury is out

Shino watched the gentle rise and fall of his wife's chest as he meandered through the house, trying not to wake her. He had several tasks he wished to complete this weekend, not least of which was to work on the nursery they would soon need. He looked back to his wife as he passed the sofa she chose to nap on every morning. Surrounded by no less than four pillows behind her head, back, under her belly and between her legs, she looked the picture of comfort with her face lax in sleep. He resisted the urge to join her as the pillows would not accommodate another body and a Sachi deprived of her mid-morning nap in the latter months of her pregnancy was a very disagreeable creature. He saw her stir slightly and knew she would be awake in the next few minutes.

He had just finished his current task when Sachi began to stretch and someone knocked on their door. He strode across their home to get the door.

"Oh, I'm glad you're getting that," Sachi said as she meticulously removed the pillows and stacked them on the end of the couch. "I think they would leave by the time I got there," she quipped.

He was surprised to find, of all people, his cousin Kazu at the door. Kazu Aburame bowed low and greeted him with an obligatory, "Shino-sama," recognizing him as the newest clan head.

"Kazu-san, to what do we owe the pleasure?"

"I'm afraid I require help that cannot be found anywhere else," he said. "My apologies for dropping in unexpectedly but I could not give any notice."

Shino stood aside and let his cousin enter. He led him to the sitting room where Sachi managed to sit up on the couch, not the easiest feat with a large baby belly.

Kazu bowed to the newest Aburame matriarch.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Sachi-sama. I am Kazu Aburame, Shino-sama's cousin."

Sachi smiled, still tickled pink at the addition of the relatively new honorific at the end of her name.

"It's lovely to meet you too, Kazu-san. Please have a seat and forgive me for not rising to greet you."

Kazu's eyes flicked to her large belly and he nodded. "Understandable," he answered. He sat in one of the armchairs surrounding the coffee table and Shino sat on the couch next to his wife.

"What is it you require my help with?" Shino asked.

"It is not your help I require, Shino-sama; it is Sachi-sama's."

"Oh?" Sachi said in surprise and curiosity. "What do you need my help with?"

"You may have yet to hear, my wife gave birth to our first child two days ago. He is premature and ill but the doctors are sure he will recover eventually. But the problem is the elders are still pushing to infuse the kikai as scheduled."

Sachi let out a tone of worry. Shino had told her about the infusion of the kikai and what she could expect for their child. For clan tradition, newborn Aburames were to be given the kikai no late than a week after their birth. Anytime after a week, the chances of rejection would increase with every passing day.

Through the years of inter-clan marriages, healthy babies and pregnancies were becoming more and more rare. And the more unhealthy and premature a baby was, the higher the chance that the baby's body and the kikai would reject each other and such a rejection was life threatening to the child.

"I fear my son is not strong enough to survive receiving the kikai. But I have heard about how powerfully attractive your chakra is to the kikai, Sachi-sama. I thought if you could infuse your chakra into his body before the ceremony then it may increase his chances of surviving."

"Could that really work?" Sachi asked.

"It is entirely possible," Shino said thoughtfully. "When the kikai are presented with a new host they must decide if the host is healthy enough to house them. Your chakra within the child would increase the chances of acceptance."

"What about after my chakra fades from his system?"

"After the kikai accept a host there is no reneging the decision," Shino added. "If this can be pulled off it should have no negative effects."

"Alright, I'll do what I can," she promised. "When is the ceremony scheduled?"

"Three days from now, on Tuesday."

"Alright, if we are going to do this then I want to practice it at least once to get it right. Will you take us in for a visit now?"

Kazu looked a bit surprised at her sudden acceptance. "Of course."

"Excellent but first things first," she said turning to Shino. "Can we stop for pork buns on the way? I'm hungry."

Sachi managed to finish her snack before they arrived at the hospital. Kazu lead them to the maternity ward where his wife and child currently resided. They entered to see the new mother watching over her baby as it slept in a cradle. It was clear that underneath the loose blanket were several medical tubes and wires hooked to various machines and fluids.

"Nori-chan," Kazu spoke. The woman looked up. "This is Shino-sama and Sachi-sama. They have agreed to help us. This is my wife, Nori-chan."

Nori turned and bowed deeply to the clan heads.

"Thank you. Please do what you can."

"I'll do my best," Sachi said quietly. "What's the baby's name?"

"Kenji," Nori answered.

Shino led her up to the cradle and began to coach her through how to infuse her chakra into the infant. Sachi laid her hands on the baby's belly and winced. She had been told Kenji was premature but she hadn't realized how much until she felt how tiny he was. Kenji was smaller than both of Sachi's hands, making it difficult to put both hands on his belly. She settled for just her fingertips. She took a deep breath and pushed her chakra into the center of the baby's chakra system.

Kenji jerked and began to whine. Sachi recoiled, frightened she had hurt him. Only after Shino assured her she was doing well and she wasn't injuring Kenji did she continue. The more she continued the more Kenji wiggled and cried.

She stopped when Shino thought it was enough.

"I-I didn't hurt him, did I?" she said with a quiver in her voice.

"No," Nori gasped out. "He's never been so lively," she said ecstatically.

"Then, did it work?" Sachi asked.

"Yes, this will temporarily make him more likely to be accepted by the kikai," Shino answered.

"Provided you are willing to perform the same process just before the ceremony."

"Of course. If I can help then I will."

The new parents thanked them profusely and they left with promises to come back just before the ceremony.

Tuesday came and Sachi hardly slept for her worry over young Kenji. Though they remained confident that everything would go smoothly fear of what may come still gripped her tightly. Shino consoled her often and it was for those brief few moments that she was at ease.

Shino made her eat and helped her to fall asleep for her mid-morning nap, knowing she would need the energy for the day. He woke her in time to eat lunch and they left for the hospital.

Kazu and Nori waited anxiously for them to arrive. And were visibly relieved to see them.

"Thank you so much for coming," Kazu said sincerely.

"Of course," Sachi said with a wan smile. "How is Kenji-kun? I've been so worried about him."

It was not lost on the parents how concerned their matriarch was for their child. It reassured them that she was well suited to join and care for their clan. Though she was the only one in the room not born an Aburame they were left confident that their clan leader chose a woman that felt deeply for them.

"The doctors say he is progressing well. They know about the infusion today and they don't recommend it."

Sachi sighed. "Should we get started?"

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Sachi fidgeted far too much. She was listening to an audiobook on the couch, bouncing her leg and taking in none of the story. Shino, while also worried over Kenji, also concerned himself with his wife and unborn child. He was discreetly checking on her with his kikai, assuring himself that her heart rate was not so high as to cause concern. He returned to his own book, highlighting baby names he found acceptable.

They weren't permitted to stay for the infusion. It was a ceremony regularly done by only the clan elders and the parents. Kazu had promised to stop by tonight to let them know how it went and Sachi could focus on nothing due to her worry.

Occasionally, Shino would hear her sigh, conscious of how tense she was and would make an attempt to relax but it never lasted long.

When at last there was a knock on the door, Sachi had been so anxious she lifted herself from the seat and waddled as fast as she could to the door, an impressive feat in her third trimester.

She wrenched the door open to find Kazu on the doorstep.

"He's doing well," Kazu said, wasting no time in easing their worry.

Sachi was visibly elated as the stress of the past few days left her body.

"Oh! Thank goodness! Oh! Kazu-san I'm so happy Kenji-kun will be alright."

Kazu bowed low to Sachi. "Thank you very much Sachi-sama. Without your help, our son would have surely died. Thank you. If you ever need anything, please do not hesitate to ask."

XXXXXXXXXX

Sachi collapsed on the couch, thoroughly tired after the events of the day. He was pleased to know she felt much better and that she would be getting the sleep she needed tonight. He lifted his book again and sat next to her.

"What have you been reading?" she asked.

"It's a book on baby names." He flipped back to the section for girl names.

"I've been thinking about what to name her, too."

He hesitated. "Have you found anything?"

"You're worried aren't you?"

"That's a strange and long name." Sachi poked his side and he smiled.

"I know Kaa-chan told you I'm horrible at naming things. But I've put a lot of thought into this one. I thought it was a lot easier because 'Shino' and 'Shibi' are similar."

"What do our names have to do with our daughter's?"

"Well, it's a tradition in my family to name children something similar to their parents'. See, 'Noriko' and 'Kaito' both end in 'O'. 'Aoi' and 'Sachi' both end in 'I'. So, I found the name 'Shina' because it's like 'Shibi' and 'Shino'. What do you think?"

Shino was surprised at how much he liked it. Though he had looked through the entire book in his hands he hadn't found anything he liked as much as "Shina".

"Shina Aburame," he tested. It sounded right. No doubt his father would be pleased to know his grandchild was named with him in mind. He closed the book and set it aside. "It's perfect."

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Please continue reviewing! I would love to see this story get to 200 reviews!


	36. Chapter 36

This is a little fluffy chapter for you to introduce baby Shina and hopefully give you warm fuzzy feelings.

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Chapter 36

Bare your heart

It had been one month since Shina was brought into the world and like most parents, they had settled into a state of perpetual exhaustion. Though Shino had taken time off work and Sachi no longer worked, their daughter was proving to be rather tiring as they settled into the new rhythms of parenthood.

"Shino-kun, where did we put the bottles?" Sachi's voice called from the kitchen.

"First cabinet, bottom shelf."

She entered the living room, two bottles in one hand and Shina in her arm. She set them into Shina's bag.

"Hold her for a minute, please. I need to get her diaper bag ready. Kaachan should be here soon."

Due to their exhaustion quickly catching up with them they had taken Noriko up on her offer of watching Shina for a night. Though the idea first brought a sense of unease in him, Shino realized if it were not he or Sachi, he would trust the ever nurturing Noriko with his daughter. He took Shina in his hands, holding her head as he lay her in his lap. She was awake, eyes roving the ceiling. He tilted her up more. Her eyes had been a mix of unidentifiable colors, as was common for babies, but they had seemingly settled into a familiar shade of brown, one that he saw in the mirror when he took his sunglasses off. He had them removed at the moment and Shina looked into his eyes as her tongue gently poked out of her mouth. Though he knew she would not understand him he felt an inexplicable urge to talk to her.

"It's... alright," he began awkwardly. "It will be different but you will be spending the night with your Baachan." She blinked up at him and yawned. "Why? Because Kaachan and Touchan are very tired and need sleep. We still love you and we will see you tomorrow." He offered his finger to her hand which she gripped tightly and he smoothed his hand over her fine brown locks, another trait she inherited from him.

The doorbell rang.

He shifted Shina to his arm and let Noriko in. She practically swooned at the sight of her granddaughter.

"Oh! My precious girl!" she whispered excitedly. She ran a delicate finger down the baby's cheek. She smiled at Shino. "How are you, dear?"

"I'm well. Sachi and I are looking forward to a full night's sleep."

"I'll bet," she said with a chuckle. "Sachi was such a happy child but such a handful!"

"I heard that!" Sachi interrupted as she descended the stairs. She greeted her mother and explained all the items in the diaper bag and Shina's routine. Noriko waited with surprising patience, knowing the words were more for Sachi's peace of mind than for Noriko's understanding. She had raised two children after all. She knew her way around diapers and bottles.

"If she's too much trouble you can always bring her back," Sachi said uneasily.

Noriko enveloped her daughter in a hug and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"Don't worry so much, sweetie. Your father and I will take good care of her. I'll bring her back tomorrow just after dinner. Time to say goodbye."

Shino pressed a quick kiss to Shina's forehead and handed her to Sachi for profuse hugs, kisses, and comforting words. He accepted a goodbye hug from Noriko, something he was getting more used to. He had not been deprived of love as a child but seeing the amount of physical affection Noriko handed out to her family he estimated Sachi received more hugs in a year than he had in a lifetime.

He did not mind Noriko's affection. It was one of the many ways she showed her love and he learned Noriko did not know how to love by halves. As soon as they announced their engagement Shino turned from her daughter's occasional visitor to nothing short of Noriko's second son. She gripped his shoulders after their hug.

"You get some rest tonight, dear. You're going back to work next week, right?"

"Yes, on Monday."

"Don't hesitate to ask if you need another free night." Noriko hugged Sachi goodbye and took Shina, hefting the diaper bag over her shoulder.

"Say bye, Shina-chan!" Noriko baby-talked to her granddaughter. "Bye, Kaachan! Bye, Tousan!" She waved Shina's tiny hand just before turning and walking home. Shino felt a cloud settle over his head.

"Tell me she will be alright, Shino-kun," Sachi said with worry coloring her voice.

"She will be alright," he repeated rather curtly, shifting his eyes to the floor. Sachi's brow wrinkled in concern.

"What's wrong?" She could tell he had fallen into a more sullen mood. Though she was perceptive and sensitive she could rarely tell what was the cause of his occasional upset.

"Everyone refers to you as 'Kaachan' but I only receive the more formal 'Tousan'. It sounds so impersonal compared to your title."

Anyone else would have scoffed away his picky nature and worrisome ways. But what he loved about Sachi the most was the simple fact that she was not like everyone else. She took his head in her hands and kissed him sweetly, bringing him out of his sulky mood.

"You are not impersonal," she said mellifluously. "If you don't like it so formal then from now on you are 'Touchan'."

Shino let his forehead rest on his wife's. He always appreciated her understanding. He realized with a pang that he hadn't purposely shown her adequate affection in what must have been weeks, probably before Shina was born.

"Are you ready for bed?"

Sachi sighed tiredly. "Soon. There are a few things that need to be cleaned first." Shino picked her up gently so she did not struggle to hold on.

"We will get to them tomorrow. Why? Because we are both too tired at the moment and it has been far too long since I expressed my love for you."

She kissed him as he carried her up the stairs.

"I have never been so lucky as the moment I asked a stranger about a beehive."

"That is not quite accurate. Because you showed initiative in your well being due to the nature of your surroundings. I believe I was the one that was lucky enough to be the one you asked."

There was only time for another heartfelt kiss and a few mutterings of love before they fell asleep in each other's arms.

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I can't believe this story is almost over!


	37. Chapter 37

Another fluffy little bonus chapter for you.

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Chapter 37

Beside yourself

There had been many times in Shino's life that he had to do things that he neither wanted nor felt the need to do. And more than a few times these things required him to put aside his pride and dignity and unwillingly shed his supercilious exterior.

But no time before now had it been so personally important and heartwarmingly adorable. Shina, their oldest daughter had run into their bedroom at night, crying and proclaiming fear over a nightmare. Sachi nudged his side and declared it was his turn to deal with their children's midnight needs and promptly lay back down to sleep. As she had been up earlier in the night with their other daughter, Tori, he couldn't help but agree it was indeed his turn. He lifted the four-year-old into his arms and carried her back to her room as she blubbered about the monster that came to eat her and her sister and leave Kaachan and Touchan to cry.

"Nothing is going to come eat you, Shina. I won't let anything hurt you."

She sniffled. "And- and Kaachan will hear it, right? In my dream, Kaachan couldn't hear."

"You know how well Kaachan hears. Kaachan and Touchan won't let anything hurt you. And remember, your kikai will warn you of danger. What do they tell you now?" he asked as he began tucking her in.

Shina paused, listening to what her hive had to tell her. "Everything is safe," she said.

"Good," he praised. "They're right. Trust them, Shina, goodnight."

It was upon her next question that his dignity would be warred with his need to comfort his daughter.

"Touchan can you sing me a silly song?"

Shino looked down to his daughter sitting up in bed and felt his heart clench. His own soft brown hair and eyes stared back at him apprehensively. The facial features she had inherited mostly from her mother were still covered in drying tears and spurred his biological urge to protect his offspring even from imaginary threats.

"Kaachan always sings a silly song when I get scared."

His pride nagged at him to deny her but this little girl was the amalgamation of himself and the woman he loved. To refuse her felt heartless. But why did she have to ask him for something obviously more in Sachi's territory?

He strode away from the open door back to the bed.

"I'll sing you a song but then it's bedtime." She nodded eagerly. "But this has to be our secret." Shina nodded again.

He took a deep breath to steel himself and summoned a tiny gong to his hand. He wasn't one to do things halfway he would sing the song with gusto to make his daughter happy or he wouldn't sing at all. There was only one song he had ever sung before and conveniently it was a silly one. The thought of a repeat performance made a chill run up his spine but one more glance at his doe-eyed child hardened his resolve.

 _"Fighting's very wrong. Don't make me scratch this gong. 'Cause when I hear it gong I have to sing a song. When I hear a bong or bing a silly song I sing."_

He watched her expressions change with interest. The first had been surprise given she had never seen her father act in such a way before. But after a fleeting moment she began to giggle and as he continued she had to hold her belly as she laughed harder and harder. The sound of laughter echoed around the room, pleasing his ear. Strangely, his chest swelled with pride, the same emotion that demanded he never commit such an action as singing a silly song, again.

 _"It doesn't mean a thing, this silly song I sing. The cat took all its gold. The fox is really old. The queen was polishing the anvils of the king. Fundle, dingle, dong won't you sing along. You cannot get it wrong 'cause it's just a silly song."_

He continued with excitement and his own amusement. His affection grew as his nerves left him and he finished with nonsense words just to hear Shina laugh more. He had never smiled so much in his life as this moment when he saw happy tears of laughter replacing the sad tears on Shina's cheeks.

"That was funny, Touchan!" she said after her laughing fit. "That was better than Kaachan's song."

"Alright, it's time for bed."

He pulled the covers over her again and with his heart still swollen from affection he kissed her forehead. Much to his delight, she hummed her contentment exactly like her mother. He turned off her light and slipped out the door.

Still drunk on his love for his family, he climbed back in bed and pulled his beloved wife close, tucking her head under his chin and hearing the same pleased hum that Sachi and Shina shared.

And with her next words whispered to him through a smile his blood ran cold.

"Remind me to buy you a gong."

Shina wouldn't divulge their secret but what was to stop his wife from telling anyone?

Damn her hearing!

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We are almost done with our daily updates, my dear readers. Next chapter is the last one I have ready for this story. As of this moment, I do not know which bonus chapter I will be completing for you nor can I tell you how quickly I can get it done. As always please continue to review!

Please suggest to me your favorite songs about revenge for another story I am building.


	38. Chapter 38

This chapter is dedicated to all who have reviewed/favorited/followed. Thank you to all who have responded!

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Chapter 38

Head over heels

Shino was a man that was not prone to asking questions when he could find the answers himself. Oftentimes he questioned if he made his beloved wife happy. If he were to ask, he had no doubt she would respond with a resoundingly positive answer. But Shino was a rather perceptive and quiet man. And the times he questioned his wife's happiness he would sit within their home and watch her.

The way she sighed gently as the sun danced across her skin left him jealous of it's loving touch.

The way her walk seemed to dance across the floor of their home, the way they could sit in comfortable silence for hours left him knowing her heart was full. When he watched her dance and sing in the kitchen, more of a balter than anything organized, and the contented sleepy sighs each time he touched her told him in no uncertain terms that her soul was satisfied.

Even the way she complained about the dirty dishes told him there was nothing greater for her to turn her irritation to.

She paused in the middle of cooking and song that accompanied it, to consider him. He had been silent throughout one of his observations of her and she had sensed something different than his usual patient silence.

"Shino-kun, is everything alright?"

This may have been one of the things he loved about her the most. Her concern for him was not unexpected but heartwarming none the less. She had so much love in her heart that she felt the need to pull others to her warm glow to pass on the sense of peace she always had within her. As he watched the concern pass over her knitted brow he couldn't help but feel the love radiating through him.

Wordlessly, he stood from the table to pull her back against his chest. He felt her concern evaporate instantly as she rested against him with a sigh. He pressed kisses to her head, temple, cheek, and neck as he greedily drank her in.

She giggled happily. "What brought this on?"

"Do I need an excuse to love my wife?" he whispered against her collarbone.

"Well, no," she said.

He continued planting kisses to her skin as he ran his large hands along her hips.

"Shino-kun," she chided without conviction, "the girls are still awake." His deep groan in her ear told her that he didn't care.

"You'll make me burn dinner," she protested weakly.

"We can go out to eat," he growled out softly.

He knew she had a weakness for his voice. The rare times his tone changed to a husky "come hither" one she never failed to be drawn in.

He continued his ministrations and his assault upon her flesh while he waited for her to decide. Just three more kisses and a hand against her stomach and she was his.

She flicked off the stove and pulled the pan away to a cool spot. The second she let go of the pan handle he whisked them away to their bedroom where nothing could keep them from being lost in each other.

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I hope you have thoroughly enjoyed this journey with me. I hope to see you all next time!

Thank you, and one last time, please review!


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